Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a 17th-century Mexican nun, poet, and intellectual, remains one of the most celebrated literary figures in the Spanish-speaking world. However, her later years were marked by a dramatic change her abjuration, or formal renunciation, of intellectual pursuits. This event has intrigued scholars for centuries. What led to Sor Juana’s abjuration was not a simple decision but a complex blend of religious pressures, gender expectations, political circumstances, and personal spiritual struggles. Understanding this moment requires a closer look at the life she led, the environment she lived in, and the multifaceted forces that shaped her decision.
Background of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
Early Life and Intellectual Gifts
Sor Juana was born in 1648 in colonial Mexico. From a young age, she displayed extraordinary intelligence, teaching herself Latin and studying advanced subjects that were rarely available to women of her time. Her intellectual curiosity led her to join a convent, where she believed she would have more freedom to study and write.
Literary and Scholarly Achievements
While in the convent, Sor Juana wrote poems, plays, and theological treatises that earned her acclaim across New Spain and Europe. She defended the rights of women to pursue knowledge and challenged patriarchal norms. Her most famous work,Respuesta a Sor Filotea, boldly defended women’s education and her right to think critically about religious matters.
Religious and Social Climate in Colonial Mexico
The Role of the Catholic Church
The Catholic Church wielded immense power in 17th-century New Spain. Religious orthodoxy was closely monitored, and deviation from Church doctrine was met with swift and harsh consequences. Intellectual independence, especially from women, was considered dangerous. Sor Juana’s writings, which often questioned male authority in religious interpretation, attracted the scrutiny of Church leaders.
Gender Expectations and Misogyny
Women in colonial Mexico were expected to be obedient, pious, and modest. Sor Juana’s erudition and literary fame made her an anomaly and a threat. Her refusal to conform to traditional gender roles brought criticism not only from religious authorities but also from society at large. Her boldness in expressing opinions on theology, a male-dominated field, was seen as transgressive.
The Turning Point: Increasing Pressure from Authorities
The Bishop of Puebla’s Involvement
In 1690, the Bishop of Puebla, using the pseudonym Sor Filotea, published one of Sor Juana’s theological critiques without her permission. Along with the text, he included a letter criticizing Sor Juana for venturing into scholarly matters better left to men. This publication became a turning point. Although she replied with a powerful defense of women’s right to study, the incident drew the attention of Church officials who began to view her more seriously as a subversive figure.
Shift in Church Attitudes
By the early 1690s, political changes within the Catholic Church and colonial administration led to increased efforts to suppress unorthodox thought. Sor Juana’s intellectual pursuits came under direct threat. High-ranking clerics began pressuring her to abandon her scholarly work and focus solely on traditional religious duties. Her convent life, once a refuge for learning, became increasingly restrictive.
Personal and Spiritual Factors
Inner Conflict and Reflection
Sor Juana was deeply religious. As much as she valued knowledge, she also feared divine judgment. In her later writings, one can detect a growing sense of spiritual anguish. She began to question whether her intellectual life had been an act of pride and whether she had neglected her spiritual responsibilities. These internal doubts likely played a role in her eventual decision to withdraw from public life.
Acts of Renunciation
In 1694, under mounting pressure and emotional turmoil, Sor Juana signed a document renouncing the study of worldly knowledge. She sold her vast library and scientific instruments, and for the last years of her life, she devoted herself to prayer, penance, and service. This formal abjuration was a symbolic and literal withdrawal from the intellectual world she had once championed.
Other Contributing Factors to Her Abjuration
- Loss of Key Supporters: Several of Sor Juana’s allies, including the Viceroy and his wife, who had long protected her, either left office or died, leaving her exposed to criticism.
- Public Censure: The public debate surrounding her writings likely caused her great stress, as she was increasingly portrayed as an arrogant woman overstepping her bounds.
- Physical Illness: Scholars suggest that Sor Juana may have been suffering from poor health, which could have weakened her ability to resist institutional pressure.
Legacy and Reinterpretation
Historical Reappraisal
Though her abjuration marked the end of her public intellectual life, Sor Juana’s legacy endured. In modern times, her writings have been re-evaluated as powerful statements of feminist thought and intellectual resistance. Scholars today view her abjuration not as a sign of weakness but as a necessary act of survival in a hostile environment.
Symbol of Feminist Resistance
Today, Sor Juana is considered a symbol of women’s rights and intellectual freedom. Her struggles highlight the limitations imposed on women by religious and patriarchal systems, and her courage in confronting these barriers continues to inspire. Her abjuration, rather than diminishing her stature, underscores the courage it took to stand against overwhelming forces.
A Complex and Painful Decision
What led to Sor Juana’s abjuration was not a single cause, but a convergence of religious, political, social, and personal factors. The institutional Church, the loss of protection, societal expectations of women, and her own internal struggles all played a role. Her renunciation of learning was a painful, perhaps strategic, decision in response to a world that no longer allowed her to safely pursue her calling. Still, her writings survive as a testament to her brilliance, resilience, and unbreakable spirit, even in the face of suppression.