R. J. Campbell opens The New Theology by insisting his book is neither a personal apologia nor an authoritative manifesto, but a concise outline of his own pulpit teaching at the City Temple, London. He acknowledges that the label “New Theology” has stuck despite his reservations, and he aims to clarify misunderstandings that arose from press controversy. The work is structured as a systematic statement, not a reply to critics, and Campbell emphasizes that the New Theology cannot be a creed—its adherents share only a common standpoint.

A Standpoint, Not a Creed

Campbell explicitly distances himself from any claim to speak for other preachers sympathetic to the New Theology. He writes that the book “must not be understood as an authoritative exposition of the views held and expounded by other preachers.” The movement, he argues, is defined by a shared perspective rather than fixed doctrines. He notes that critics have often attacked a misrepresented version of his teaching, and he suggests that the best rejoinder would be to publish the criticisms side by side, as “they neutralise one another most effectually.” This framing positions the book as a defensive clarification rather than a dogmatic treatise.

Sacrifice as Symbolic Self-Offering

In his treatment of Old Testament sacrifice, Campbell rejects the notion that blood had any inherent saving efficacy. He cites Numbers to show that “the life of the flesh is in the blood” and interprets the offering of blood as a symbolic declaration that “the individual life belongs to the whole.” The Day of Atonement, he insists, was never a complete amnesty for all sins; theft or murder required community penalties. Campbell even finds nobility in pagan child sacrifice, arguing that a mother giving her baby to Moloch demonstrated the cost of offering one’s best. This reading consistently subordinates ritual to ethical relationship with God and neighbor.

The Moral Ideal and the Religious Ideal Are One

Campbell grounds his argument in prophetic texts, particularly Micah 6:6–8, which he quotes as demanding justice, mercy, and humility rather than burnt offerings. He asserts that “sin against God is not something into which a man may fall without knowing it, but the living of a selfish life.” This equation of morality and worship is central to his project: proper worship requires proper treatment of fellow humans. The excerpts show Campbell using scriptural exegesis to support a theology that is ethically demanding and socially oriented, though the incomplete text leaves the full scope of his system—especially Christology—unclear.

Readers should note that the excerpts cover only Campbell’s introduction and his discussion of Old Testament sacrifice. The book’s later sections, which presumably address Christology, atonement, and modern applications, are not represented here. Campbell’s method is to argue from biblical texts while disavowing creedal rigidity; his tone is defensive but systematic. Those interested in early twentieth-century liberal Protestantism will find this a primary document of the “New Theology” controversy, though the full argument requires reading beyond the available passages.