Editorial
Abstract
We gladly present to you the 2023 issue of JAAS! In this issue we present five articles. Godwin N. Aja, Victoria T. Aja, H. Jacob Aguimesheo, Sa Myo Thoung, and Delwin S. Gusago co-author the article “Understanding the Covid-19 Pandemic for Public Health and Biblical Perspectives.” The Covid-19 pandemic is a part of history, but it is still not too late to learn from it. They argue that while using public health measures to control pandemics is necessary, combining this with biblical principles deepens the spiritual and emotional response to such crises.
Oliver Glanz writes “Assessing a Critical Look at Modern Graduate Education Through the Lens of Ancient Textbooks.” While acknowledging the benefits of modern textbooks and teaching styles in contemporary education, he finds that they may also compromise the ideals of humanistic and Christian education, namely, training critical and independent thinkers living responsibly in their social contexts. He suggests ways in which we can learn from ancient textbooks. Since this chapter draws examples from the field of teaching Hebrew, those involved in such training can particularly benefit from this article.
The third article is Zdravko Stefanovic’s “Whole-Person Care in the Teachings of the Three Abrahamic Faiths.” In a world where health and welfare persist to be a challenge, Stefanovic offers reflections on where Judaism, Christianity, and Islam may find themselves converging in perspectives and offering a better way forward in relation to wholeness, wellness, health, and spirituality. This article also provides a basis for engaging in constructive dialogue between the monotheistic religions.
In Donny Chrissutianto’s article, “Contrasting Views about the Divinity of Christ and Their Impact on the Acceptance of the Personality of the Holy Spirit and the Trinity in Seventh-day Adventist Theology,” he takes a dive into the history of discussions and clarifications of the godhead in Adventist history. He surveys the main views and groups in the church’s history, and argues that a biblical understanding of the divinity of Christ helps the acceptance also of the personality of the Holy Spirit and the doctrine of the Trinity.
The last article is written by Glenn Mariano. He discusses the meaning of “entering God’s rest” according to the book of Hebrews. His “Entering God’s Rest: Reading Psalm 95:7–11 in Hebrews 3–4” argues that the expression is basically synonymous with the idea of entering God’s sanctuary. We hope and pray that these articles will give you food for thought, and stimulate further reflection.
We are also happy to announce that JAAS has now been approved for indexing with the ATLA Religion Database. This has been a goal for many years. It means that the visibility and accessibility of the journal significantly increases. In particular we want to thank the Leslie Hardinge Library staff, and Megumi Flores, Lyra Jazel Ilagan, and Dionisio Tuapin in particular, for giving significant help in both achieving this goal and also with the technicalities involved in this process. Publication and a journal is a teamwork, and I also want to take this opportunity to thank the editorial team, and my fellow editors Richard Doss and Dindo Paglinawan, for their significant help in completing the JAAS issues.
