The Westminster Shorter Catechism was written in the 1640s by a large group of ministers and church leaders in England. The Catechism is called “Westminster” because the group that wrote it met in Westminster Abbey, in London. Together with other documents prepared by the Westminster Assembly, the Shorter Catechism shaped Presbyterian churches around the world, including the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The Shorter Catechism is written in the language of its time. While it articulates Christian beliefs it also uses the language and the understanding of its time. Already in Question and Answer 1 we see this – the Catechism says “man” where we speak of all people. Engaging the Catechism well invites us to explore what it meant to its writers and first audience, and to explore what those words mean, or might mean, today. Helpful aids to understanding the Shorter Catechism include Book of Confessions, Study Edition Revised , pp.195-201 (Westminster John Knox Press, 2017); and Conversations with the Confessions: Dialogue in the Reformed Tradition , pp. 51-68 (Westminster John Knox Press, 2005).

The Samuel Robinson Award is offered to college juniors and seniors attending a Presbyterian-related college or university. Students must recite from memory, the responses to the 107 questions in the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Students have up to 18 months from the start of the recitation to complete the recitation. In 2022, eligible applicants will be college students graduating in 2022 or 2023.