You can appreciate Kazantzakis’ influences of Nietzche, Eastern philosophy, and a tremendous ambition to respond to our own dualisms; which probably were huge during the post war.

I've always wanted to read this book. I couldn't wait to listen to you both once I finished it. A great book and a satisfying discussion. Thanks 🙏

Very interesting talk ... Thank you! I just finished "God´s pauper" from Kazantzakis too, about St. Francis of Assisi. There are so much similarities! Also a great book :-)

I believe Kazantzakis employed a return to the historical moral arena, much like Nietzsche did in his Thus Spoke Zarathustra. It’s such a shame a lot of religious people can’t be open minded enough to view works of art like The Last Temptation of Christ but then, we are all on different paths. Nonetheless, I am reminded of a thought by Wilde about jumping to conclusions and thinking the worst. I loved this review by the way and I’m wondering if you’d record a review on Salome, the play by Oscar Wilde? It was banned in Great Britain until the early 1930s.

very good analysis

There seems to be some misunderstanding about the language that Kazantzakis uses. "Dimotiki" (which roughly translates to "people's language") is not a bridge to modern Greek, it is the modern Greek language. "Katharevousa" ("cleaned up") is the bridge between ancient Greek and modern Greek that you are talking about in your video and was an effort to get rid of foreign influences on the Greek language. Even though Kazantzakis is writing in dimotiki/modern Greek, some academics argue that his language is neither the one nor the other. It's a very unique language that he created: he molded new words (which could be understood through their roots) and expressed ideas with lyricism and poetic mastery. That's why his novels despite being technically written in "dimotiki"/modern Greek can be at times harder to follow than books that are written in "katharevousa" which on paper sits between modern and ancient Greek.

Bravo; Brava! Thank You Both. Kazantzakis deserves the stage you gave him.

12:06 Well, he has a moment of worry before He is arrested, and He asks God: "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me." Last Temptation is basically a whole story of "let this cup pass from me."

The correct term for the more conservative “ancient” form of Greek is “Katharevousa”; “Dimotiki” is the vernacular language. Just letting you guys know. Great show

I was one of the people who crossed the picket line to see the movie version back in 1988. For all the fiery controversy the movie generated, I would learn it was just simply a movie. Nothing more. But as a result of the movie, the book was put back into print, so I went ahead and bought it. I had no problems with that beings I would learn that the book is in fact required reading in a lot of religious schools. To skip to the chase: I wanted the book to just keep going. It is the most intelligent and sincerely religious book I have ever read. Yeah, Judas was made out to look good, but I saw it that it only made Jesus look better. And though I'm no religious expert by any means, because of this book I wanted to learn more about Jesus and his teachings - which I think was one of the reasons Kazantzakis wrote it. If I'm going to hell for it, so be it. Because in 1999 I saw the movie away from the controversy and saw that like the book, it is the most intelligent religious movie ever made, and have watched the movie 8 times since. Oh, and I have read about 5 of Kazanzatkis' other works and remains one of my favorite authors.

I'm a Christian and I LOVE the movie. It's actually in my Top 10 favorite Bible-based movies, I have the book, and I tried to read it, but it spends a lot of time being like "the desert is dry, the air is windy"- not those words but same idea. I might try it again with your guy's insights. :)

“The Last Temptation of Christ” is a marvelous book and controversial

If you want to read one of his novels where his language mastery is at full display you can read: "Report to Greco". Full disclosure: I have no idea whether the English translations capture the beauty of the expressions and the language of that book. P.S: I have tremendous respect for anyone that has even attempted to translate any of Kazantzakis' books to English. I can't fathom the amount of effort that is required in order to properly convey the imagery and lyricism.

This was the book I read right after coming out of Lord of the Rings, when I was 11, so Jesus's disciples and co came across in my imagination very much akin to the inhabitants of Hobbiton and Middle Earth: funny little creatures, feckless then fortitudinous. They all seemed so relatable, unlike anything I had read or heard about Jesus before. NK said he wrote it so that people could love Christ. This time was also the early stages of my journey with Christ....although (perhaps unsurprisingly) I never did become a Christian.

I read The Last Temptation of Christ shortly after it was translated into English, but The Greek Passion impressed me more at the time. The villagers under Turkish rule were permitted to put on a passion play, during which someone murdered the young boy the Turkish governor is in love with. He demands that the murderer be exposed so he can be executed. Manolios, the one portraying Christ in the play, voluntarily takes on the sin of the murderer. He is betrayed (or accused and doesn't deny it -- can't recall the details) by the villager playing Judas. There is a practical benefit being developed in The Greek Passion That is, one is blessed if he is enabled to imitate Christ. The Last Temptation of Christ seems more theological, which is good. Some place it is written that Christ was tempted in all respects as we are, but was without sin. The Fundamentalists of all denominations need to have their understanding of the term "temptation" enhanced. I recall also reading Freedom or Death and liking it next to The Greek Passion -- after which I would place The Last Temptation. I didn't like Zorba The Greek at all. -- can't recall if I read anything else by him. The fact that Zorba was the most popular novel in English soured me on my fellow man. But, inasmuch as I did not finish it, perhaps I am wrong. I never pursued the matter. I thought you two did an excellent job.

I’ll wait for the movie to come out :b

Kazantzakis's entire opus is one of struggling with faith, with understanding the world, and appreciating why people do what they do. His Report to Greco, which can only really be referred to as a memoir, catalogues his processing of faith and how it changed over time. I have to believe that Niko read or was exposed to the history of Gnostic gospels which have varying interpretations and spins on the life and teachings of Jesus; in this way, they are like the myths of most ethnic groups - while the general plot of many of these myths are somewhat standardized, there are differences depending on the source, and what the audience needed at that time. The Last Temptation is what was needed.

I’m an orthodox Christian and I love the book. It’s one of my favorites. It’s historical fiction not a biography like the gospels . It’s blasphemy but not blasphemy that most think. The struggle of Christ is interesting and dark. But the blasphemy is Christ who is the human deity of God is a sinner. Meaning not perfect , he argues with his father , he needs Judas and his other apostles help to figure things out. Nikos believed God needed man just as much as we need God. Yes that is blasphemy. But it’s interesting blasphemy. It made me think and made me love christ all the more to show that despite him being perfect he surly struggled he was fully man as well. This work paved way for shows today like the chosen or gospel according to biff which show Christ’s human side in not blasphemous ways. My only complaint truly with the book is how sexist Nikos was. Orthodoxy and Jesus are very progressive on the role of women. Christs and his apostles would not speak of women the way they do in the book. Sure the blasphemy made me upset but that was the point. The story was supposed to be very raw and human . I reread the book a lot . A true masterpiece in historical fiction.

Nice job!

It was the Church herself, through many councils, who stressed the humanity of Christ. Since early on, from the days of Docetism and the Gnostics, who wanted to make Christ into a pure spirit, who only appeared human... or the other way around, that Christ was just a human who realized God(some kind of sage). The Orthodox Faith of the Catholic Church, always warned against these extreme views, to rationalize Christ was anathema. It taught that he was both fully man, and fully God, without any fusion, confusion, or blending. It doesn't sound like Kazantzakis is saying anything other than this. Great conversation! Thanks, I just ordered this book.... "The hypostatic union, or the union of the divine and human natures in the One Person of the Word, the God-Man, Jesus Christ, was not only a truth of the greatest, most revolutionary, and most existential actuality, but it was the central truth of all being and all history." ~ Thomas Merton

I read this when I spent a summer in Greece in 2002. He takes the passage: "he [Jesus] was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" idea and explores it beyond the biblical narrative, especially the sin of lust.

I am fortunate to be able to speak, read, and write Greek. Having read " O Τελευταίος Πειρασμοσ" in the vernacular, and it is a MASTERPIECE. The English translation is sufficient but falls short of translating the emotional current of Kazantzakis and the characters. Demotic/Δημοτική is not the pure form of Greek, that would be Kαθαρευουσα. Also, the last temptation was not to have a physical relationship and mortal life, but rather to pass up the crucifixion. I'm surprised this distinction was missed in your analysis.

26:00-19 They show that in the movie and I think that's one of most beautiful pieces of dialogue in the movie.

I think an episode on the fabulous Georges Bataille would be interesting.

30:55 What page is this on? This isn't included in the movie?

I wonder, what was the FIRST temptation of Christ? Maybe turning water into wine, then into whisky?

I was listening to this guy on KZfaq reading this book and you can tell the dude had a few issues with the book as well.I personally thought the movie was like the Biblical version of It's a Wonderful Life a little bit.

That's is true everyone else in the Bible had flaws and weaknesses but Jesus is like this perfect guy which question and makes you wonder.