Review: New Religions and the Mediation of Non-Monogamy: Polyamory, Polygamy, and Reality Television, by Michelle Mueller

Abstract

This unique volume investigates the points of connection between a selection of contemporary consensual non-monogamous religious groups and their portrayal in reality TV shows set on American soil. These programs offer insights into the beliefs and practices of these alternative communities by portraying some of their member families—such as the Browns in Sister Wives, the Snowdens in Seeking Sister Wife, the Mooneys in Newlyweds, and the Williamses in My Five Wives. The investigation includes certain polygamous fundamentalist Mormon communities and representations of New Age, Neopagan, and Neo-Tantric polyamorist groups, including members of the LGBTQ community.The book begins with the introduction of the religious groups and TV programs under examination as well as definitions of key terms employed, such as swinging and poly-affectivity, as part of a broader discussion of current non-monogamous familial relations and practices. Michelle Mueller’s interdisciplinary approach draws from various fields of the social sciences and allows her to take advantage of a variety of methods in her research, including participant observation, case study, and interview. She also lends a personal touch to the book by allowing some of her own memories to round out her observations.The bulk of the volume focuses on fundamentalist Mormon polygamist communities in Utah, such as the Kingstons, the Peterson group and the Allred group, whose “interdenominational” relations are also surveyed. Mueller reflects on their portrayals in the new media as well as on their reception among members and nonmembers, which is a valuable aspect of her research. She finds that these media representations contributed significantly to a broader social recognition of these groups, a shift in public opinion that she explains by the liberal-minded media and by the specific nature of the genre of the reality show. In addition to religion, gender, and sexuality, however, she also considers the social positionings that are essential to these representations, such as race, class, and political standing, following Kimberlé Crenshaw’s intersectional model. In the process, Mueller draws on further theorists. For example, she employs Nathan Rambukkana’s model for investigating the intersection of race (Whiteness) and class (the middle class) in Big Love, but also surveys lifestyle changes and the economic standing among Mormon polygamous families based on Christian Klesse’s study of poly-economics in polyamorous families. She finds that the conscious progressive image of fundamentalists in these reality shows as regular White middle-class Christians contributes significantly to their increasing recognition in U.S. society as demonstrated by TLC’s Sister Wives, for example, which ran for a record 18 seasons despite its modest reception as signaled by its relatively low IMDb rating.Mueller also takes a careful look at the theology and spirituality of the groups portrayed and the specific ways in which their non-monogamous practices derive from their belief systems and the values these carry for them. In this respect, she separates the polygamous Mormons—who find comfort in biblical polygamy and, except for the patriarch, tend to engage in a traditional, heteronormative, monogamous lifestyle—from the non-Christian polyamorous groups, some of which completely depart from monogamy and welcome members with non-conforming gender identities and/or sexualities. In her understanding, based on Gayle Rubin’s formulation of sex hierarchy, these non-Western alternative religious practitioners are located on the margins or outer limits of society and take the opportunity provided by their rather liberal media representations to challenge and subvert the normative Christian monogamous family model and sexual practices and thus to claim space for themselves away from the periphery. In addition to sexuality, the other field of uneven power relations Mueller integrates into her analysis regards the position of women: Is their engagement in practices of polyamory or polygamy empowering? What challenges do they face in these familial settings? What strategies can they employ in their negotiations of power? How can feminist readings do justice to their specific life circumstances?Based on research Mueller conducted for over a decade, this is a book grounded in theory and empirical evidence. Perhaps wishing to include too much at times, this volume is still an exciting contribution to the study of contemporary American media and the representation and position of alternative faiths and lifestyles on American soil.