Le rapport de l'Église à Israël

This article reviews a major issue in Lukan research: the political function of the church's relationship to Israel in the construction of social identity. The so-called »ancestral theme« (e. g., P.F. Esler; G. Sterling) is today widely accepted in Lukan studies. After a presentation of the current state of research, recently marked by critical voices, three aspects are reconsidered and examined: Luke's depiction of God, the Pauline portrait in Acts, and the Areopagus speech (Acts 17:16-34). These three elements lend credibility to Luke's political use of the cultural motif of ancientness.