Daejin University's Daesoon Academy of Sciences (DAOS) successfully launched the English language journal, the Journal of Daesoon Thought and the Religions of East Asia (JDTREA www.jdre.org).

This first issue, published as one of DAOS's international research projects, contained six articles and one book review all of which were written by overseas scholars. The topics of this issue covered Daesoon Jinrihoe doctrines, the history of the order, and the life of Doju Jo Jeongsan.

In particular, Professor Emeritus at the London School of Economics, Eileen Barker, a leading scholar in the study of new religious movements, published a systematically organized book review of the English translation of the scriptures of Daesoon Jinrihoe: The Canonical Scripture, The Guiding Compass of Daesoon, and Essentials of Daesoon Jinrihoe.

An article written by Massimo Introvigne, Director of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR) in Italy, introduced the history of Doju Jo Jeongsan from the perspective of comparative religious studies. Professor Patrick Laude of Georgetown University in the US wrote about the significance of Daesoon Jinrihoe in the context of modern civilization, and the late Professor Liselotte Frisk of Dalarna University in Sweden explored Daesoon Jinrihoe in regards to its development of religious social welfare projects. Professor Susan Palmer of Concordia University in Canada and Jason Greenberger of Daejin University co-authored an article on the role of children in Daesoon Jinrihoe, and Professor Huang Pochi of Huafan University in Taiwan penned his article on the religious and ethical characteristics of Haewon-sangsaeng. Rounding off the debut issue is an article from Professor David Kim of Australian National University who wrote about the concept of Jingyeong (a perfected state of being) and a new type of human based upon the teachings in The Canonical Scripture (Jeon-gyeong). The Editor-in-Chief of JDTREA is Professor Carole Cusack, Professor of Religious Studies, University of Sydney, Australia.

The publication of the English language journal of DAOS, JDTREA, was the first publication of its type for an indigenious Korean religion. The journal is expected to be a starting point for the promotion of Daesoon Thought to the world and has an aim of being officially listed as a world-class academic journal (A&HCI, Scopus, etc.).