Address delivered before the British Association assembled at Belfast

Delivered to the British Association in Belfast in 1874, this address captures a pivotal moment when scientific discovery and religious belief were locked in open debate. Written amid the Alpine heights and polished for publication, the speaker frames his remarks as a reasoned response to the fierce criticism that followed his earlier remarks on faith and materialism.

The core of the speech argues that human conceptions of divinity are inevitably shaped by our own nature, warning against projecting mortal traits onto the divine. He defends a view of God that transcends anthropomorphic images while insisting that the advance of science will gradually reshape religious sentiment, especially among the youth of Ireland. By confronting accusations of atheism and materialism head‑on, he illustrates the tension between emerging empirical knowledge and established theological doctrine, offering a measured yet thought‑provoking perspective on how belief systems evolve in light of new facts.