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The Last Temptation of Christ (novel)
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Wikipedia article
'The Last Temptation of Christ' or 'The Last Temptation' (Greek: , 'O Teleftos Pirasms') is a historical novel written by Nikos Kazantzakis, first published in its original Greek in 1955 before being translated into English in 1960. The novel depicts the life of Jesus and his struggles with various forms of temptation, including fear, doubt, depression, reluctance, and lust.
Upon its publication, the book was condemned by the Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church; it has since been challenged by numerous Christian groups and conservative organizations. A 1988 film adaptation directed by Martin Scorsese was similarly controversial.
Themes
Kazantzakis argues in the novel's preface that by facing and conquering all of man's weaknesses, Jesus struggled to do God's will without ever giving in to the temptations of the flesh. The novel advances the argument that, had Jesus succumbed to any such temptation, especially the opportunity to save himself from the cross, his life would have held no more significance than that of any other philosopher.
The critic I. A. Richards has stated that Kazantzakis' novel tries to reclaim the values of early Christianity, such as love, brotherhood, humility, and self-renunciation.Lewis A. Richards, "Christianity in the Novels of Kazantzakis," 'Western Humanities Review' 21, p. 52 According to the book's English translator, Peter A. Bien, the psychology in 'The Last Temptation' is based on the idea that every person, Jesus included, is evil by nature as well as good, violent and hateful as well as loving. A psychologically sound individual does not ignore or bury the evil within him. Instead, he channels it into the service of good.Peter Bien, "Tempted by Happiness: Kazantzakis' Post-Christian Christ", Pendle Hill Publications, Wallingford, PA p. 12
Controversy
In February 1955, the Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church in Athens attempted to have all of Kazantzakis' books banned in Greece, arguing that 'The Last Temptation of Christ' "contains evil slanders against the Godlike person of Jesus Christ....derived from the inspiration of the theories of Freud and historical materialism, [this book] perverts and hurts the Gospel discernment and the God-man figure of our Lord Jesus Christ in a way coarse, vulgar, and blasphemous."Middleton, Darren J. N., and Peter Bien, eds. 'God's Struggler: Religion in the Writings of Nikos Kazantzakis'. Macon: Mercer University Press, 1996. 26-27.
In 1963, a Roman Catholic priest in Ashland, Wisconsin, forbade one of his parishioners from returning a library copy of 'The Last Temptation of Christ', arguing "that it would be a mortal sin to make it available to others."[https://www.nytimes.com/1963/04/13/archives/library-bars-novel-assailed-by-priest.html "Library Bars Novel Assailed By Priest,"] 'The New York Times' 13 Apr. 1963. In 1964, a conservative group called the Citizens Group for Clean Books demanded that the novel be removed from public libraries in Arcadia, California, on the basis that it was "blasphemous, obscene and defamatory"; as a result, the book was made "available on a limited basis to persons over the age of 18."[https://www.nytimes.com/1964/11/22/archives/rightists-attack-coast-libraries-leftist-books-assailedfront-groups.html?searchResultPosition=4 "Rightists Attack Coast Libraries,"] 'The New York Times' 22 Nov. 1964.
The book was banned in Singapore in 1988.
Film version
The director Sidney Lumet acquired the film rights to Kazantzakis' novel, describing it as the story "of how a man pushes himself to extremes he never knew he was capable of," with Judas emerging "as a strong man, a sort of hero". Lumet commissioned a screenplay written by Lazarre Seymour Simckes and announced his plans to shoot the film in the fall of 1971, though the project did not come to fruition.Weiler, A. H. [https://www.nytimes.com/1971/02/21/archives/judas-as-hero-will-judas-be-the-hero.html?searchResultPosition=5 "Movies,"] 'The New York Times' 21 Feb. 1971. After many delays, a film version directed by Martin Scorsese was released in 1988, starring Willem Dafoe as Jesus, Barbara Hershey as Mary Magdalene, and Harvey Keitel as Judas Iscariot.
Play version
A drama based on 'The Last Temptation of Christ', named 'Christuvinte Aaram Thirumurivu' ('The Sixth Holy Wound of Christ'), written by P.M. Antony and depicting Jesus as a mere good-hearted man instead of the Son of God, was staged in India's state of Kerala. On August 10, 1986, the play debuted in Alappuzha. It was performed about 42 times, but the Church had taken offence, and at every performance, demonstrations including premeditated violence against the play and the playwright were instigated. The police even confiscated the script; the state went on to ban the play, and courts did not overturn the ban. Antony went on to publish the play in print in the Malayalam language; eventually he was arrested and punished on unrelated charges.
In popular culture
The American singer-songwriter Judee Sill referred to Kazantzakis as her favorite writer; her 1971 song "Jesus Was a Cross Maker" was inspired by the depiction of Jesus in 'The Last Temptation of Christ'.Lewis, Grover. [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/judee-sill-soldier-of-the-heart-233809/ Judee Sill: Soldier of the Heart,] 'Rolling Stone' 13 Apr. 1972.
References
Category:1960 novels
Category:Greek literature
Category:Greek novels
Category:Historical novels
Category:Modern Greek literature
Category:Novelistic portrayals of Jesus
Category:Greek novels adapted into films
Category:Novels by Nikos Kazantzakis
Category:Simon & Schuster books
Category:Christianity in popular culture controversies
Category:Obscenity controversies in literature
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