Why was Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion published after David Hume’s death?

David Hume’s Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion was published posthumously in 1779 because it was held back during his lifetime under pressure from friends.1

In this work, Hume challenged traditional religious thought by refuting the cosmological and teleological arguments for the existence of God. Given that Hume had previously faced accusations of atheism and heresy that hindered his professional career—such as his unsuccessful bid for a chair of logic at Glasgow and his earlier candidacy for a chair of moral philosophy at Edinburgh—the decision to delay publication was a prudent measure to avoid further controversy.12