In what many view as the most controversial fictional adaptation of Biblical materials written in this century or possibly any other, Kazantzakis transforms the story of Jesus of Nazareth into a penetrating examination of the role of the hero in society.

The tale of Christ's mission to save mankind is adapted into an existential framework: the man of greatness discovering meaning in his life and ultimately sacrificing himself to fulfill both his personal destiny and his role as savior.

The Last Temptation of Christ explores man's relationship to God, in the special, perhaps unique way that Kazantzakis sees it: God and man are inextricably linked in the same struggle for salvation, and God needs man as much as man needs God for survival.

This radical (and, to many, heretical) view is at the core of Kazantzakis's religious philosophy. The work shows Christ coming...