Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz : religion, art, and feminism

This book introduces Sor Juana as a major theological figure, who excelled in "sacramental dramas" and liturgical poetry. Pamela Kirk argues that Sor Juana stands out not only as a great thinker, but as a fascinating and complex person. Just as noteworthy is Sor Juana's clear awareness of her role as a woman artist in a social and ecclesiastical milieu that was militantly patriarchal. Her last major work, written in response to episcopal criticism of "worldliness, " is a defense of her rights as an intellectual in the church. This book explores Sor Juana's life and work as a contribution to Latin American theology. Kirk also looks at Sor Juana's position as a strong-willed woman writing in an age when to have a feminist voice and use it was scandalous; and she contrasts this with the fact that Sor Juana's writing was, at least initially, supported and encouraged by those in power. The seventeenth-century Mexican nun, scholar, and writer Sor Juana has inspired numerous literary studies, including works by Octavio Paz, George Tavard, M. Sayers Peden, Jean Franco, Alan Trueblood, E. Arenal, and A. Powell. In contrast, Kirk offers a theological analysis of the less frequently studied religious writings that comprise two-thirds of Sor Juana's oeuvre. -- Back cover