This paper argues that John Thomson’s (c. 1690–1753) An Explication of the Shorter Catechism (1749) functioned not merely as doctrinal instruction, but also as a distinctly Old Side pastoral response to the ecclesial upheaval of the First Great Awakening. By rooting Christian identity in confessional and catechetical formation—together with his emphasis on “personal covenanting,” more explicitly developed in his Poor Orphans Legacy (1734)—Thomson offered a pastoral alternative to the excessively experiential emphases of the New Side revivalists.
One of the most significant leaders in the formative decades of American Presbyterianism, and arguably the foremost representative of the Old Side, Thomson has been largely neglected in contemporary scholarship. Yet his response to the spiritual crisis felt in his day merits renewed attention. Far from opposing the need for revival, Thomson shared the New Side’s concern about the poor state of religion in the colonies. His opposition lay not in the diagnosis but in the proposed cure. Whereas revivalist leaders emphasized emotional experience and cross-confessional cooperation—often downplaying theological distinctives—Thomson championed a return to robust catechesis, covenantal commitment, and clarity of Reformed doctrine and piety.
This paper offers a close reading of Thomson’s Explication in light of the Old Side–New Side controversy, showing how it embodies a pastoral theology shaped by confessional commitments, ecclesial order, and a sober call to covenantal renewal. It concludes by suggesting that Thomson’s approach offers enduring insights for contemporary ministry, particularly in times of spiritual confusion and ecclesial fragmentation.