Amberley is known for his unorthodox views on religion and for his active support of birth control and women's suffrage, which contributed to the end of his short career as Liberal Member of Parliament.

Due to Lord John's elevation to peerage as Earl Russell in 1861, his son and heir apparent became known as Viscount Amberley.

Amberley's religious views presented a great obstacle to his political career, with even Liberal clergymen angered by his refusal to observe Sunday.

He also advocated birth control as means of countering overpopulation and public health issues,[5] for which he was accused of depreciating marriage, supporting abortion,[1] and insulting physicians.

In 1870, Lord and Lady Amberley bought Ravenscroft, a country home near Chepstow in Monmouthshire, where he was a magistrate, and spent their time enjoying nature and domestic life.

[9] Through Mill, Lord Amberley met Douglas Spalding, a lawyer by profession and amateur biologist whom he employed as a tutor for his sons.

Lord Amberley felt that there was nevertheless no reason to condemn Spalding to celibacy and, after a discussion with his wife, allowed them to engage in a sexual relationship.

When they returned to England, in May 1874, Frank was diagnosed with diphtheria, but was nursed back to health by Lady Amberley and her sister Maude.

[4] He had Lady Amberley's body cremated and her ashes interred in the grounds of their home without a religious ceremony, a decision that was seen as outrageous.

[11] Deeply depressed, he left their surviving children in the care of Spalding and the servants, and decided to finish An Analysis of Religious Belief in honour of his wife.

[1] In his will, Amberley named Douglas Spalding and T. J. Cobden-Sanderson as Frank and Bertrand's guardians, not wishing his children to be raised as Christians,[12] but Lord and Lady Russell successfully contested the stipulation and assumed full guardianship.

[3][12] The deeply pious Lady Russell, notwithstanding her undoubted disapproval of its content, made sure that her son's book was published a month after his death.