b'BIBLICAL STUDIES AND THEOLOGYHoliness in the Old TestamentA Textual and Thematic Analysis Matt I. Ayars & John N. Oswalt, Editors You shall be holy, for I the L ordyour God am holy.Leviticus 19:2The holiness of God and Israels call to be holy are arguably at the theo-logical center of the theological vision of the Old Testament. Thus, a careful and thorough analysis and evaluation of the theme of holiness is critical for understanding both this God and this call. In Holiness in the Old Testament, thirteen respected Old Testament schol-ars come together to provide a cohesive view of Scriptures testimony to the nature of holiness. They explore the historical and cultural context of the Hebrew terms related to holiness and aptly argue that any definition relating to God must include both his incommunicable and communica-ble attributesthose qualities that belong to him alone, such as his eter-nality and transcendence, and those qualities that he expects his people to emulate, such as his steadfast love and ethical purity. Furthermore,theauthorsdemonstratethathumanholinessmust be understood not just as a response to Gods holiness but as the resto-ration of the image of God in humanitya key notion for the fulfillment of Gods plans and purposes for the creation as a whole. By surveying the concept of holiness in each major section of the Old Testament and how it relates to other Old Testament theological themes, the authors provide a comprehensive biblical and theological study. The careful student will walk away with a deeper understanding of their holy God and their holy call.Matt I. Ayars (PhD, University of Chester) is currently serving as the Lead Pastor of Wellspring Church in Madison, Mississippi. Prior to pas-toral ministry, Matt served as the President of Wesley Biblical Seminary and Emmaus University of Haiti. Matt is the author of several books and coauthor of Holiness: A Biblical, Historical, and Systematic Theology.John N. Oswalt (PhD, Brandeis University) is currently Visiting Distin-guished Professor of Old Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary. He is the author of the two-volume commentary on Isaiah in the New Inter-national Commentary on the Old Testament. He has also written Called to Be Holy: A Biblical Perspective, which traces the concept of holiness through the Bible.KREGELA C A D E M I C RELATED TITLES978-0-8254-4839-3$27.99 The Prophets ofBiblical WorshipPaperback6 x 9296 pages Israel 978-0-8254-4556-9 978-0-8254-4572-9$44.99RELIGION / Biblical Criticism & Interpretation / Old$47.99 TestamentKregel AcademicRights: WorldOctober 28, 2025kregel.com/academic9'