| dc.description.abstract | Different treatment of polygamous male converts within Christendom, the
existence of a first wife and non-defined stances in the absence of explicit local and
worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church policy pose a challenge in treating
polygamous male converts. Moreover, varied perceptions among members about
polygamy and polygamous wives’ legitimacy exacerbate the challenge in a country
where 19.5% of married women live in polygamous relationships.
Ascertaining which wife ought to remain and understanding members' and
polygamous converts’ perceptions regarding wives’ legitimacy in polygamous
marriages and polygamy concerning adultery, the sole biblically sanctioned reason for
divorce, is the aim of the research. Answering these questions is crucial in the debate
towards a framework to better disciple polygamous men. The researcher surveys the biblical treatment of first and subsequent wives, the roadmap to any course of action in
missions. Also, a literature review, a survey of Pentateuch laws and a study of
Abrahams, Jacob’s, Elkanah’s and royal polygamy aid in forming a holistic
understanding of the phenomenon. Besides, 481 church members from Tete, Sofala,
and Maputo responded to a questionnaire. A non-probabilistic, purposeful sample of
four polygamous male converts share their perceptions of polygamy and polygamous
converts’ treatment through an interview.
The research concludes that, in contexts permissive of polygamy, none of a
polygamous man’s wives commits adultery, and all are equally legitimate. Both the
first wife and the non-defined stances violate no biblical principle, and neither
infringes local legislation. Although the former stance is more prevalent among
questionnaire respondents, interview participants base their choice on factors other
than the chronological order of acquisition. Additionally, God’s treatment of
polygamous wives and Ellen G. White’s dealing with unbiblical marriages demand a
treatment that transcends chronological order. Such treatment calls for flexibility
whenever the first wife’s stance is unfeasible, assessing and mitigating negative social
and missional implications of any stance and follow an adequate cultural exegesis of
polygamy in specific communities. Furthermore, this treatment requires effective
education and training of church members and guidelines making the wife’s choice a
results of a contextualized discipleship process. | en_US |
