Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-12-28
THE NEW THEOLOGY.

We have received. from the McAllllah
Publishing company, New YORK III
le volume containing New Theology
sermons" by Rev. r. j. Campbell MIN
lister of the city Temple, London. This
is a book that should be of considerable
interest TO all who care TO investigate
Tor themselves. at first hand. the doc
,rines OF this so-called New Theology
the teaching OF which from the famous
nulpit OF the late DIR. Parker. has Gre
ated so much stir IN religious circles IN
England. and elsewhere. The sermons
treat on a number OF topics, inciuolhs
the incarnation and resurrection, the
fau ana atonement. and the views OF
the leader Of the new school are SET
forth with desirable precision.
MIR. Campbell has taken a position on
nearly every doctrinal question radio
ally different from that Of his orthodox
brethren As far as he accepts the b.
bic he considers II valuable as a unique
record OF religious experience, but that
does not prevent him from subjecting
/. to such criticism as he thinks proper
The scat OF religious authority he hnds
i'm the human soul. He believes in the
Immortality OF the soul but only on
the ground that every individual con-
sciousness is a ray Of the universal
CONSEQUENCES and. therefore, cannot be
destroyed. He believes In the progress
OF the soul after death. and that our de-
velopment In the hereafter depends TO
"A great extent upon our conduct ~
this life. He believes that the Biblical
account Of the fall is untrue. or, rather.
that il IS a romance Of the early age
OF man. designed Tor instruction IN eth
les He holds that the very imperfec-
lions OF the world are due TO a divine
design and not to fall.
Accordingly. he teaches that sin Is
nothing but selhshness. Il Is an offense
against the God within a violation of
the law OF love. He rejects The on
thodox doctiiue OF the atouement. on
the ground that no one can atone Tor
the sins Of another When a deed ls
done the consequences are eternal Mr..
Campbell. finally has little 10 say
rather upon the divinity OF the Christ,
following. he claims. the Apostle Paul
ia this he does not deny the divinity
OF our Lord. but he seems 10 regard
every human as divine IN the same
sense as Jesus. and the mission Of the
great Nazarene was merely 10 make Us
realize our divinity and our oneness
with God. and 10 teach as TO live a.
He lived.
This Is not IS viii be seen. a new
theology" al ALL Much OF Il Is as old
as the renowned church father Origen,
whose influence upon orthodox theology
ln spite OF his heresles, IL not denied.
Much OF e goes back 10 the vapory
speculations OF the Gnostics.
Mr. Campbell. like 80 many other
thinkers OF our time, has reyolted
against some OF the indesoribable alb
surdities that are offered the people
under the false label Of orthodoxy SO
lar the stir ho has made reproductive
of good. II induces people 10 think But
b. seems to us that be has fallen into
the somewhat common error OF suppos-
ing that the Bible rs responsible Tor
thc mistakes OF the theological systems
0f the world For that reason he hndl
It necessary no discard most OF that ga
crrd volume, together with the doc
trinca built upon a. This d
"a fundamental mistake Tn,
/ Bible does not teach the absurdi-
ucs De dlscards. A FUN Investigation
of his proposition would disclose that
/ fact beyond dispute There was d
time when me pulpit horrihed ny
/ descriptions off eternal hell hrcs That
was considered Scripture doctrine. But
/ atho is there today that would again
sound those trumpet blasts? The pull
! pitts are silent on that topic. Preach-
| cra 40 not believe that the Bible
| teaohce such doctrines. 30 ID win ho
with other errors. They are not taught
/ by me scriptures. M. Campbell states
that. what wo have now to max,
plain to tho world n that Christianity
ls tho gospel of me kingdom of God %
that is. the glad tidings of the reign
~ love salvation must consist h
coaslng DO be- selfish and being alled
Instead with the spirit of Christ" But
that De- taught nowhere 10 elesrly as Ia