The Christian History (Boston, 1743)

On March 5, 1743, Thomas Prince (1687–1758), pastor of Old South Church in Boston, issued the first number of his weekly paper, The Christian History, widely regarded as the first religious journal published in America. Appearing amid the reports and controversies surrounding the revivals often linked with the Great Awakening, the paper aimed to do more than stir curiosity. It sought to preserve reliable testimony of God’s work and to guide readers in humble, obedient response.

Thomas Prince and Pastoral Editing

Prince combined scholarly care with a shepherd’s heart. He gathered accounts of conversions, prayer meetings, preaching, and “remarkable providences,” weighing reports rather than repeating hearsay. His editorial restraint modeled Christian integrity: believers were invited to give thanks for grace, to test what they heard, and to avoid both gullibility and cold unbelief. “Test all things. Hold fast to what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). In an age of fast-moving rumor, such steadiness was its own quiet heroism.

Places and People Shaped by Revival

Boston served as a hub where printed news could travel quickly through New England towns, coastal ports, and inland parishes. Prince’s pages stitched together a shared narrative across congregations—accounts from ministers, laypeople, and distant correspondents—so that ordinary Christians could see they were not alone in seeking the Lord. The journal helped families and churches remember answered prayers, restored consciences, and renewed seriousness in worship, even when opposition and spiritual pride threatened to spoil good fruit.

Faith, Perseverance, and Holy Memory

The Christian History urged readers not to rest in mere excitement but to pursue lasting repentance and holiness. Its weekly rhythm reminded believers that God’s mercies are not confined to one sermon or season. “Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). By preserving testimonies of saving power, Prince strengthened the church’s memory—so that future generations could say with confidence that the Lord had not been absent from their day.