Sor Juana Quotes

“Juana does not side exactly with either of the two medieval answers to the question of the purpose of the incarnation. She does not, with Anselm, Bonaventure, and Thomas Aquinas, understand the incarnation as primarily remedial, chosen by God to undo the effects of sin by way of redemption. Juana comes closer to John Duns Scotus's idea: the purpose of the incarnation is that humankind should give God the highest possible glory. Yet her view cannot be identified simply with this. Rather, the purpose of the incarnation—identical to that of creation—is the ultimate union of two kinds of divine beauty: the beauty of the eternal Word and the beauty that has been given to creatures.”
― Michelle A. Gonzalez, Sor Juana: Beauty and Justice in the Americas

“Contemporary theologians are not accustomed to think of poetry, literature, and plays as theological discourse. In the contemporary era, where faith is often counter-posed with reason, theological discourse seeks to stand on academic ground. As a result, it has lost much of its original flavor, seeking to prove its validity rather than assume it. In Sor Juana's era, at a time on the brink of modernity (yet not there) such concerns were not operating. Sor Juana is part of a tradition that not only speaks to her context and the theology of her time, but one that continues to exist today, though often marginalized from academic centers of reflection. Like Seneca, Russell, and Sartre, Sor Juana uses drama and poetry as a form of philosophical reflection.61 She stands among those thinkers who offer alternative constructions of philosophical method.”
― Michelle A. Gonzalez, Sor Juana: Beauty and Justice in the Americas

“There are two “camps” which interpret Sor Juana's final years: the Catholic interpretation sees her renunciation as a turn to spirituality and devotion, while the secular camp sees Sor Juana as a woman persecuted by the Church. Both positions are ideological, for they are based on a desire to depict Sor Juana as either converting to or surrendering to the desires of the institutional Church. Both are too simplistic.”
― Michelle A. Gonzalez, Sor Juana: Beauty and Justice in the Americas

“These interpretations of Sor Juana's decision to join a religious order hold Sor Juana to feminine standards of piety. In other words, because Sor Juana did not express her faith in the manner typical of the women of her era (through mystical writing and mortification, for example), she is not interpreted as pious.”
― Michelle A. Gonzalez, Sor Juana: Beauty and Justice in the Americas

“For the most part, contemporary sorjuanistas downplay the role of religious faith and vocation in her life. This understanding of Sor Juana is flawed, I contend, for it is based on a very narrow definition of religious vocation. Too often, the diminishment of Sor Juana's vocation leads to downplaying the significance of Sor Juana's theological and philosophical writing.”
― Michelle A. Gonzalez, Sor Juana: Beauty and Justice in the Americas