Preaching at the British Association for the Advancement of Science: sermons, secularization and the rhetoric of conflict in the 1870s

Abstract

Much attention has been given to the science-religion controversies attached to the British Association for the Advancement of Science, from the infamous 1860 Huxley-Wilberforce debate at Oxford to John Tyndall's 1874 'Belfast Address'. Despite this, almost no attention has been given to the vast homiletic literature preached during the British Association meetings throughout the nineteenth century. During an association meeting the surrounding churches and halls were packed with men of science, as local and visiting preachers sermonized on the relationship between science and religion. These sermons are revealing, particularly in the 1870s when the 'conflict thesis' gained momentum. In this context, this paper analyses the rhetoric of conflict in the sermons preached during the meetings of the association, exploring how science-religion conflict was framed and understood through time. Moreover, it is argued that attention to the geography of the Sunday activities of the British Association provides insight into the complex dynamic of nineteenth-century secularization.

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