Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary

The Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary (JAAS), originally named Asian Adventist Seminary Studies (AASS) (1998-2005), is an official scholarly journal published by the Theological Seminary at the Adventist Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS) in Silang Cavite, Philippines. It is a bi-annual periodical incorporating peer-refereed research articles, short research notes, book reviews, and thesis and dissertation abstracts of AIIAS theological seminary degree projects. The magazine covers a wide spectrum of areas, including biblical studies, theology, history, practical theology, and mission.

Published in English, the journal includes contributions from the current and former AIIAS faculty, students, and alumni, as well as Adventist scholars from other institutions worldwide. JAAS fulfills its mission by featuring articles of Adventist scholarship¹ that seek to trigger dialogues on essential topics for the mission of the Adventist Church. Also, it exchanges with similar journals and libraries worldwide, both Adventist and non-Adventist. It reaches global researchers and offers the possibility of trans-denominational academic conversation.²

Founding

AASS began in 1998 under the leadership of Edwin Reynolds with Filipe Tan, Jr., as assistant editor; Anne Bissell as editorial assistant; Glenice Joy Ondap as editorial secretary and circulation manager; and Carlos Martin and Zdravko Stefanovic as editorial consultants.

The journal has a twofold purpose. First, it offers an avenue in which AIIAS faculty and students can publish their research, thus meeting the accreditation criterion for institutions granting doctoral degrees.³ Second, the published articles seek to promote Adventist scholarship by advancing biblical understanding and discussing issues in church practice from a different context.⁴

The mission of the journal is “to publish research findings and practical contributions from AIIAS Theological Seminary by which pastors, teachers, administrators, and other church members may be benefitted in carrying out more knowledgeably and effectively the mission of the church in the Asia-Pacific region and in the world.”⁵ It reflects AIIAS's goal to provide dynamic Seventh-day Adventist graduate education, both on campus and at different distance learning centers.

History

The first issue appeared in 1998 under the name Asia Adventist Seminary Studies. All the contributors were seminary faculty. Based on the positive response to the first issue, the editorial committee decided to include the papers read at the AIIAS Annual Theological Forum and the abstracts of completed MA in Religion theses from the second issue onward. Additionally, the second issue featured both devotionals and scholarly papers to enrich the readership of both academics and professionals. Later that year, AIIAS seminary instituted a theological society, the Asia Adventist Theological Forum, for both religion teachers and anybody else interested in joining.⁶ The 2000 issue included selected papers from the Asia Adventist Theological Forum and the AIIAS seminary theological forum. AIIAS provided monetary incentives for those who desired to publish scholarly studies and book reviews. The journal started to include papers from the First Professorial Lecture in 2001—a new series instituted by AIIAS in which all full professors were expected to present a scholarly lecture before their colleagues as part of the promotional process.

After serving as assistant editor for two years, Kenneth D. Mulzac became the new editor of JAAS in 2002. By that year, the subscription to the journal had reached major universities and seminaries. The American Theological Library Association (ATLA), which indexes more than 700 religion journals worldwide, announced AASS on its waitlist for regular indexing.⁷ Beginning in 2003, ATLA indexed the journal.⁸

The 2005 issue marked significant changes as the journal transitioned to full peer-review. It started worldwide exchange programs with other peer-reviewed journals of biblical and theological scholarship.⁹ That led to the changing of the journal’s title to Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary (JAAS), an easier name to communicate with prospective authors and reviewers. The publication also received a new ISSN number for legal consideration.¹⁰ The release of the journal now became bi-annual. To become more aesthetically appealing, the cover was redesigned from yellow (1998-2005) to black and red (2006-present). The editorial team instituted an international review board of individuals from renowned seminaries and universities¹¹ to enhance the quality of the publication.¹² The selected review board included 30 Adventist and non-Adventist scholars with different areas of expertise.¹³ They represent a global community of biblical scholarship, spanning from North America, South America, Europe, Asia, to Africa. Later that year, Gerald A. Klingbeil picked up the mantle as the editor of the JAAS. The editorial team offered an option of payment via credit card to facilitate international subscription. ¹⁴

By the 2006 issue, several indexing services incorporated JAAS, such as Index Theologicus (Universitat Tubingen, Germany), International Review of Biblical Studies (Brill, Netherlands; Universitat Paderborn, Germany), Religious and Theological Abstracts, Old Testament Abstracts, New Testament Abstracts, BiBIL (Bibliographie Biblique Informatisée de Lausanne, Switzerland), Bulletin de Bibliographie Biblique, and THEOLDI (Theological Literature Documented In Innsbruck, Austria).¹⁵ RAMBI (Index of Articles on Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, Israel) was added in 2008.

In 2013, Michael W. Campbell became editor,¹⁶ replacing Mathilde Frey, the former editor for more than three years. During Campbell’s tenure, the journal removed the names of the editorial review board, given that each article tended to be specialized and required a top expert in the field. Hence, such a general list of names was not particularly helpful.¹⁷ Because of a two-year gap, the team published a double volume to keep the publication current.¹⁸ For the same reason, the editorial team decided to produce double issues in 2015.

In 2015, the journal needed a new editorial team as Campbell returned to the US. The associate editor, Eike Mueller, assumed administrative responsibilities; and the assistant editor, Alvaro Rodriguez, returned to his native country.¹⁹ The next year Cristian Dumitrescu became editor with Diana Razmerita, and Olaotse Gabasiane as associate editors.²⁰

The journal has covered a broad range of relevant topics. For instance, given the ambiguity of the term “church,” the 2014 JAAS issue examined the topic of ecclesiology to provide more understanding of the biblical and theological concept of church.²¹ The 2015 issue featured the topic of the Reformation and its legacy and relationship to Seventh-day Adventists. It was part of the five-hundredth anniversary of the Protestant Reformation organized by Michael W. Campbell and Nikolaus Satelmajer. Articles from the issue became part of the book Here We Stand: Luther, the Reformation, and Seventh-day Adventism.²² More recent articles have addressed such topics as biblical interpretation, hermeneutical approaches, and prophetic interpretation. Some historical articles dealt with the development of the Adventist mission in Africa and Asia. The latest issue of JAAS was released in 2021. The editorial team is currently working on catching up on the delayed issues.

Outlook

Since its inception in 1998, the journal has been a source of resources from academia and a helpful tool to promote Adventist missions in Asia and beyond. The initial subscription rate per year was $4 within Asia and $5 elsewhere. Currently, the rate is $30 for individuals and $45 for institutional subscriptions.

JAAS seeks to increase its visibility and access by enlarging the subscriber pool and providing free access to previous issues.²³ Its editorial committee is currently in conversation with several indexing databases to offer its content through their search services.²⁴ As the journal is transitioning to a fully online journal, it will continue to produce limited copies for exchange networks and subscribers who still prefer the printed version. Some of the early issues are already accessible online for free on Adventist archives web pages.

Titles

Asian Adventist Seminary Studies (1998-2005)

Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary (2006-Present)

Editors

Edwin Reynolds (1998-2002), Kenneth D. Mulzac (2002-2005), Gerald A. Klingbeil (2006-2009), Mathilde Frey (2009-2012), Michael W. Campbell (2013-2017), Cristian Dumitrescu (2017-present).

Sources

Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies Theological Seminary. Seminary Faculty Meeting, October 14, 1998.

Campbell, Michael W. “Editorial.” Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary 16, 2013.

Campbell, Michael W. “Editorial Statement.” Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary 18, 2015.

Dumitrescu, Cristian. “Editorial.” Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary 19, 2016.

Dumitrescu, Cristian. “Editorial Statement.” Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary 18, 2015.

Klingbeil, Gerald A. “Changes Come to Seminary Journal.” Flags 1, October 2006.

Klingbeil, Gerald A. “Editorial Statement.” Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary 9, 2006.

Klingbeil, Gerald A. “The Child’s New Garb: JAAS Between Continuity and Innovation.” Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary 9, 2006.

Klingbeil, Gerald A. "The New Face of AASS. Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary 9, 2005.

Muller, Eike. “Editorial.” Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary 17, 2014.

Mulzac, Kenneth D. Asia Adventist Seminaries Studies 6, 2003.

Reynolds, Edwin. “A Child is Born.” Asia Adventist Seminary Studies 1, 1998.

Reynolds, Edwin. Asia Adventist Seminary Studies 5, 2002.

Notes

1. Michael W. Campbell, “Editorial,” Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary 16.2 (2013): 115.↩

2. Cristian Dumitrescu, current editor of Journal of Asian Adventist Seminary, email to author, February 22, 2022.↩

3. See Recommendation of AAA, Criterion 6: Faculty and Staff. AIIAS Board Minutes, 2005: 10.↩

4. Cristian Dumitrescu, current editor of Journal of Asian Adventist Seminary, email to author, February 22, 2022.↩

5. Edwin Reynolds, “A Child is Born” Asia Adventist Seminary Studies 1, (1998): 1.↩

6. Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies theological Seminary. “Seminary Faculty Meeting,” October 14, 1998.↩

7. Edwin Reynolds, Asia Adventist Seminary Studies 5, (2002): 1.↩

8. Kenneth D. Mulzac, Asia Adventist Seminaries Studies 6, (2003): 1.↩

9. Gerald A. Klingbeil, former editor of the Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary, email to author, March 2, 2022.↩

10. Gerald A. Klingbeil, "The New Face of AASS," Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary, 9:1 (2005): 1.↩

11. Those universities include New York University (USA), University of Wisconsin (USA), Copenhagen Lutheran School of Theology (Denmark), Kenyatta University (KENYA), Ashland Theological Seminary (USA), Fribourg University (Switzerland), Andrews University (USA), Fuller Theological Seminary (USA). Gerald A. Klingbeil, "The New Face of AASS," Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary, 9:1 (2005): 1.↩

12. Gerald A. Klingbeil, “The Child’s New Garb: JAAS Between Continuity and Innovation,” Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary, 9:1 (2006): 1-2.↩

13. Gerald A. Klingbeil, “Changes Come to Seminary Journal,” Flags 1:2, October 2006, 15↩

14. Ibid., 15.↩

15. Gerald A. Klingbeil, “Editorial Statement,” Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary, 9:2 (2006): 1.↩

16. Michael W. Campbell, “Editorial,” Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary 16.1 (2013): 1.↩

17. Michael W. Campbell, “Editorial”, Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary 16.2 (2013): 115↩

18. Ibid., 115↩

19. Cristian Dumitrescu, “Editorial Statement,” Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary, 18:1-2 (2015): 1.↩

20. Cristian Dumitrescu, “Editorial,” Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary, 19:1-2 (2016): 1.↩

21. Eike Muller, “Editorial,” Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary 17:1 (2014): 1-2.↩

22. Michael W. Campbell, “Editorial Statement,” Journal of Asia Adventist Seminary, 18:1, 2 (2015): 1.↩

23. Cristian Dumitrescu, current editor of Journal of Asian Adventist Seminary, email to author, February 22, 2022.↩

24. Ibid.↩