  The kinetic motion of the stars of a galaxy is considered within the
framework of a relativistic scalar theory of gravitation. This model, even
though unphysical, may represent a good laboratory where to study in a
rigorous, mathematical way those problems, like the influence of the
gravitational radiation on the dynamics, which are still beyond our present
understanding of the physical model represented by the Einstein--Vlasov system.
The present paper is devoted to derive the equations of the model and to prove
the existence of spherically symmetric equilibria with finite radius.
