Religious sanctioning of polygamy can have a significant impact on attachment, jealousy, and intimate relational dynamics between individuals within a polyamorous relationship. This is because it can create an environment where there is competition for time, attention, and resources amongst the partners involved. In a monogamous relationship, there are typically clear boundaries set around how much time and energy each person should be spending with their partner versus other people in their life.
When polygamy is allowed, these boundaries become more fluid and open to interpretation.
One way that religious sanctioning of polygamy affects attachment is through the concept of "divine polygyny," which involves having multiple wives who all share one husband. In this arrangement, each wife must compete with the others for his attention and affection. This can lead to feelings of jealousy and insecurity, as well as strained relationships between the women involved. It also places a burden on the primary wife, who may feel like she has to share her husband with others and be less than fully invested in the relationship.
In addition to competitive dynamics between partners, religiously sanctioned polygamy can also result in complicated emotional bonds being formed between those involved.
Some religions allow for arranged marriages, in which two or more partners are paired together based on family ties rather than romantic attraction. In these situations, partners may feel obligated to stay in the relationship even if they don't want to, leading to resentment and negative feelings towards each other.
Polygamous relationships often involve multiple children from different mothers, which can make it difficult to form strong attachments with any one parent.
Religiously sanctioned polygamy can have an impact on intimate relational dynamics by creating a sense of unequal power dynamics within the relationship.
A man may choose to take on multiple wives because he feels entitled to do so, while the women involved may not have much say in the matter. This can create an imbalance of power where the male partner holds most of the control over the relationship. As a result, there is potential for abuse, manipulation, and exploitation.
Religiously sanctioned polygamy can significantly affect attachment, jealousy, and intimacy within polyamorous relationships. While this arrangement may work for some individuals, it is important to consider how these factors will play out before entering into such an agreement.