“Yo, la peor de todas”: Mujerista Theology and the Life and Legacy of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
Location
PANEL: Intersections of Identity and Experience: Exploring Imposter Phenomenon, Blerd Culture, Mujerista Theology, and Spanish Heritage Speakers
King 343
Document Type
Presentation
Start Date
4-26-2024 4:00 PM
End Date
4-26-2024 5:00 PM
Abstract
In Latine culture, religion dominates nearly every aspect of daily life, so much so that it has become an intrinsic feature of our traditions and identity. But what happens when our culture also adopts and perpetuates the oppressive and patriarchal traits that are elemental to certain religious ideologies? Considered by scholars such as Robert C. Romero to be the first female leader of the Brown Church, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz navigated and confronted these realities daily as a Mexican nun in the 17th century. As a feminist pioneer in all regards, Sor Juana bravely defied cultural gender norms and pursued her educational passions for the arts and sciences in a machista society that believed a woman was to be submissive and docile. Mujerista theology, a framework developed by Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz, centers the daily lived experiences and social justice work done by women within their communities and religious institutions. In this presentation, I explore Sor Juana’s complicated relationship and role within the Catholic church and in this way shed light on the way in which mujeres experience and navigate their latindad by applying a Mujerista theological lens. While Sor Juana passed away, forced to condemn herself as “la peor de todas”, her legacy has inspired many of us to repeat this same phrase boldly and unapologetically in her honor.
Keywords:
Brown Church, Mujerista theology, Feminist theology, Latinas
Recommended Citation
Baeza, Lily, "“Yo, la peor de todas”: Mujerista Theology and the Life and Legacy of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz" (2024). Research Symposium. 28.
https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/researchsymp/2024/presentations/28
Major
Comparative American Studies; Hispanic Studies
Award
Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship
Project Mentor(s)
Gina Pérez, Comparative American Studies
2024
“Yo, la peor de todas”: Mujerista Theology and the Life and Legacy of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
PANEL: Intersections of Identity and Experience: Exploring Imposter Phenomenon, Blerd Culture, Mujerista Theology, and Spanish Heritage Speakers
King 343
In Latine culture, religion dominates nearly every aspect of daily life, so much so that it has become an intrinsic feature of our traditions and identity. But what happens when our culture also adopts and perpetuates the oppressive and patriarchal traits that are elemental to certain religious ideologies? Considered by scholars such as Robert C. Romero to be the first female leader of the Brown Church, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz navigated and confronted these realities daily as a Mexican nun in the 17th century. As a feminist pioneer in all regards, Sor Juana bravely defied cultural gender norms and pursued her educational passions for the arts and sciences in a machista society that believed a woman was to be submissive and docile. Mujerista theology, a framework developed by Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz, centers the daily lived experiences and social justice work done by women within their communities and religious institutions. In this presentation, I explore Sor Juana’s complicated relationship and role within the Catholic church and in this way shed light on the way in which mujeres experience and navigate their latindad by applying a Mujerista theological lens. While Sor Juana passed away, forced to condemn herself as “la peor de todas”, her legacy has inspired many of us to repeat this same phrase boldly and unapologetically in her honor.
