Cette thèse porte sur l’usage du terme σήμερον (« aujourd’hui ») en Luc-Actes (vingt-deux occurrences), dans la correspondance paulinienne (Romains 11.8 ; 2 Corinthiens 3.14, 15) et dans l’épître aux Hébreux (1.5 ; 3.7, 13, 15 ; 4.7 [à deux reprises] ; 5.5 ; 13.8). Elle accorde une importance particulière à la possibilité de l’influence de l’ « aujourd’hui » du Deutéronome dans le Nouveau Testament. Deux hypothèses principales sont au cœur de cette étude. D’une part, celle de la thématisation, dans le Deutéronome comme dans les trois corpus néotestamentaires envisagés, du mot « aujourd’hui » : dans chaque cas, ce terme acquiert le statut de thème théologique à part entière. En effet, ses divers emplois démontrent un travail de réflexion sur « l’aujourd’hui ». D’autre part, celle d’une influence deutéronomique commune : les trois écrivains néotestamentaires sont conscients des attaches théologiques de l’aujourd’hui deutéronomique. Ils transposent volontairement et diversement ce motif vétérotestamentaire à la lumière de l’événement Jésus-Christ. En fin d’enquête, on constate que l’aujourd’hui lucanien, l’aujourd’hui paulinien et l’aujourd’hui de l’épître aux Hébreux, tout en conservant des accents qui leur sont propres, contribuent tous à mettre en valeur les mêmes concepts théologiques clés, parmi lesquels figurent l’accomplissement de l’Écriture, l’eschatologie en cours de réalisation, l’avènement du salut, l’annonce de la bonne nouvelle et la proclamation de la parole de Dieu. / This dissertation examines the use of the term σήμερον (“today”) in Luke-Acts (22 occurrences), the Pauline letters (Romans 11:8; 2 Corinthians 3:14, 15) and the Epistle to the Hebrews (1:5; 3:7, 13, 15; 4:7 [twice]); 5:5; 13:8). It gives special attention to the possible influence of the Deuteronomic “today” in the New Testament. Two main hypotheses are at the heart of this study. First, the word “today,” in Deuteronomy as well as the three New Testament corpora under consideration, becomes a theological theme of its own. In effect, it is argued that its various occurrences reveal the presence of reflective work on “the today.” Second, in the minds of the three New Testament authors who give attention to this motif, there seems to be an awareness of certain theological associations that are bound up with the Deuteronomic “today.” In diverse manners, they intentionally transpose this Old Testament motif in the light of the Christ event. By the end of this investigation, it becomes apparent that Luke’s today, Paul’s today and the today of the Epistle to the Hebrews, while each possessing unique characteristics, all contribute to emphasize the same key theological concepts, such as the fulfillment of Scripture, an inaugurated and progressively realized eschatology, the coming of salvation, the heralding of the good news and the proclaiming of God’s Word.

This essay examines Jesus' conflict counseling in the Gospel of Luke, by conducting a literary analysis of Luke 9:46-48, 12:13-21 and 22:24-30, which are stories of conflicts where Jesus himself is not involved. The texts have been analyzed in their historical context and are illuminated by heuristic use of contemporary conflict theory and moral psychology. Through this reading, a pattern emerges: Jesus' main method of dealing with conflicts is to correct the attitudes of those involved in conflict.

Today, some twelve million immigrants are unlawfully present in the United States. What response to this situation does Christian theology suggest for these immigrants and those who receive them? To this question about the status of immigrants before the law, the theological literature lacks an understanding of how federal U.S. immigration law developed, and it lacks a robust theological account of the governance of immigration. To fill this gap, the thesis presents three stages in the formation of the laws that designate some immigrants as aliens unlawfully present or illegal aliens, drawing out the moral argumentation in each phase and responding with moral theology. In the first stage, non-citizens were called aliens in U.S. law. In response to the argument that aliens exist as a consequence of natural law, Christian teaching indicates that immigrants are not alien either in creation or for the church. In the second stage, the authority of the federal government to exclude and expel aliens was established, leaving those who do not comply to be designated illegal aliens. To the claim that the federal government has unlimited sovereignty over immigration, interpretations of the Christian Scriptures respond that divine sovereignty limits and directs civil authority over immigration. In the third stage, legal reforms that were intended to end discrimination between countries allowed millions from countries neighboring the U.S. to become illegal aliens. These reforms turn out to be unjust on philosophical grounds and unneighborly on theological grounds. While federal law classes many as aliens unlawfully present in the United States, Christian political theology indicates that immigrants are not alien, the government of immigration is limited by divine judgment, and nationals of neighboring countries deserve special regard.