Der politische Lukas. Zur kulturellen Interaktion des lukanischen Doppelwerks mit dem Imperium Romanum

Abstract The conventional image of the Rome-friendly, politically apologetic Luke is increasingly questioned today. In order to be able to recognize a political attitude of Luke within the narratives of Luke-Acts, an evaluation of different textual complexes is necessary. The article first elaborates on Rome-critical features of the Lukan Birth narrative against the backdrop of the conception of the aurea aetas supporting the early Roman Principate, before considering the implications of the idea of Christ’s reign for the evaluation of imperial rule. It also addresses the dark sides of Roman rule in Luke and then discusses the political ambivalence in the tax question in Luke 20,20–26. The sword episodes in the Passion narrative do not allow any violent resistance. The Roman governors as representatives of Rome in the provinces appear in Luke as factors of uncertainty for the first Christians, while the hope for a good living with the Roman military rests on the centurions. The real political challenge, however, is the ethos of the Christian communities itself. The synopsis of the texts gives a differentiated picture of the attitude Luke takes towards the Roman Empire.