Why the most translated Greek author was branded a heretic and a Bolshevik

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Nikos Kazantzakis was a literary titan who navigated the volatile politics of the 20th century. Nominated for the Nobel Prize nine times, he challenged the Greek Orthodox Church and political extremes alike. His life was a relentless pursuit of spiritual and intellectual freedom, leaving behind a legacy that remains deeply polarizing.

Born in Crete in 1883, Kazantzakis emerged as a towering figure in modern literature. His career was defined by a restless intellectual curiosity that led him to study law and philosophy, eventually falling under the influence of Henri Bergson. This philosophical foundation, which emphasized the synthesis of intuition and rational thought, permeated his work. He became a prolific writer, producing novels, plays, and travelogues that captured the spirit of the common person by utilizing Demotic Greek, the vernacular language of the people, rather than the formal Katharevousa favored by the elite.

His political journey was equally complex. Initially drawn to communism after witnessing the rise of the Soviet Union, he eventually grew disillusioned with Stalinism. He occupied a precarious middle ground, distrusted by both the Communist Party and the right-wing establishment, which frequently labeled him an immoral agitator. Despite his brief stint as a government minister in 1945, he remained an outsider, eventually resigning to focus entirely on his writing. His later years were marked by extensive travel and a prolific output that included his most famous novels, such as Zorba the Greek and The Last Temptation of Christ.

Kazantzakis's relationship with religion was perhaps his most contentious aspect. While he never identified as an atheist, his exploration of divine mutability and the humanity of Jesus put him at odds with conservative clergy. He faced persistent calls for excommunication, to which he responded with a famous defense of his own moral clarity. Even at the end of his life, while battling leukemia, he continued to travel, eventually dying in 1957. His final resting place in Heraklion bears an epitaph that encapsulates his lifelong philosophy: a total rejection of hope and fear in favor of absolute personal liberty.

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