David Attebury

One of the most important articles I’ve read this year nytimes.com/2025/12/19/opi…

Update: open.substack.com/pub/atteburyup…

March 2026 PhD update below:

The editor of WJE 14:45n9 wrote, "The influence of these two authors (Mastricht and Turretin) on JE is often mentioned but rarely explored." I want to see if JE's Scripture references could be bread crumbs to reception. I hope to find similar arguments/exposition/lang. used

Nerd alert: I transcribed every Scripture reference from Mastricht's TPT (18,519 references) and put them into a table to compare with the references Jonathan Edwards used on Faith (WJE 21:414). Want to see if there is significant clustering that would show influence

Some Personal News...

Transkribus doesn't support rich text editing, so my workaround for noting all italicized words is to use wavy brackets.

Super nerd alert: to batch edit a document in Word where you want all items within wavy brackets to become italicised, FIND: \{([!\}]@)\} and REPLACE: {\1}. Use wildcards; Format font style to Italic.

Come join us in May! I'll be presenting a paper on Benjamin Keach: “Two Hands, Contoured by Chalcedon: Seeing the Two Natures of the Son in Our Perseverance From Keach’s Sermon on John 10:28.”

@jamesrwoodtheo @IVMiles Met a man at Heritage Reform in Grand Rapids two weeks ago who owns a window installation business and he was super stoked to hear about the Edwards class I was taking that week at PRTS. May God increase their tribe

@IVMiles presby churches are filled with blue-collar nerds this is part of our charm

When I put the cardboard box the trash bags came in into the trash bags that came from the box, I can’t help but think I’m in someway violating Exodus 23:19—“You shall not boil a young goat in the milk of its mother”

“A lifetime isn’t long enough for the beauty of this world and the responsibilities of your life.” Mary Oliver, “Flare,” Little Alleluias (2025).

First book of the year done. Lots of footnotes to chase. Love Petrus van Mastricht even more

@TrevorHenderson I promised my kids I’d bag up some snow and bring it home with me. They weren’t thrilled with the offer

@dattebury Bring some snow back with you to Texas.

My ride for the week! Visiting Heritage Reformed and enjoying the snow

On way to Grand Rapids for a week of Edwards-maxing at PRTS with Dr. Fisk

“History, well read, is simply humility well told.” Great quote

The Learned Doctor William Ames (1972) - Sprunger’s work is close to the Platonic form of a theological biography. Nearly every paragraph bites with a witty summary at the end.

Everything is Never Enough & Pilgrim at Tinker Creek - Twin books, and hard to know which is the spiritual successor to the other. Pilgrim lives in the air of Ecclesiasties, and Jamieson lives inside Pilgrim and surpasses it on the elevator to the 3rd floor. The view takes your breath away.

My books read in 2025, including bedtime stories to the kids. My top four books below: