La Respuesta a Sor Filotea de la Cruz

Contents

La Respuesta a Sor Filotea de la Cruz is a theological defense letter written by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz in 1691. Sor Juana constructed this defense in response to a letter written by Catholic bishop Manuel Fernández de Santa Cruz, who used the pen name "Sor Filotea."[1] La Respuesta was the first work written in the Western Hemisphere that defends women's right to an education.[2]

Historical context

According to scholars, La Respuesta is best understood within the context of preceding letters written to and by Sor Juana.[1][3] These letters include Fernández de Santa Cruz's initial letter to Sor Juana, Letter from Sor Filotea, as well as Sor Juana's letter to her confessor, Antonio Núñez de Miranda.

Letter to Her Confessor (1681)

Sor Juana's letter to her confessor was written in 1681 and predates La Respuesta by approximately ten years. Originally written for a private audience, this letter was not discovered until 1980.[3] Though the low point of Mexican Inquisition-era censorship occurred approximately fifty years before Sor Juana wrote to her confessor,[4] Sor Juana expressed frustration at her confessor primarily because of his repeated public censure of her and her ideas.[3] This repeated censuring arose from the Mexican Inquisition-era historical context, seeing that heresy was of particular concern in Mexico during this time because the country was a newer Catholic territory.[4] According to scholar Nina M. Scott, Núñez de Miranda's public censure of Sor Juana was emblematic of her grievances with the church.[3] In her letter to her confessor, Sor Juana scrutinizes the Catholic church's culture, accusing the imperial establishment of authoritarianism and sexism.[1] Scott asserts that this letter was likely the basis for Sor Juana's letter to Sor Filotea, noting that it was a space where Sor Juana could privately and safely articulate her frustration regarding her treatment as a woman interested in the arts and sciences.[3]

Letter from Sor Filotea (1690)

"Sor Filotea", or Manuel Fernández de Santa Cruz, published his letter to Sor Juana in 1690. At this time, he was the bishop of Tlaxcala (Puebla de los Ángeles).[5] The letter was published as a preface to Sor Juana's "Carta Atenagórica", or "Letter Worthy of Athena",[1] a work that debated theological claims made in a sermon given by Antonio Viera, a Portuguese Jesuit.[2] In his letter, Fernández de Santa Cruz took on the persona of a woman and reprimanded Sor Juana for studying the humanities and writing poetry. He asserted that Sor Juana's studies were "vain pursuits"[2] seeing that in his eyes, these studies were not centered in Christian theology. He claimed that studies within the humanities and other fields must be conducted within the context of Christianity; otherwise, academic pursuits serve no valid purpose.[1] Though Fernández de Santa Cruz never claimed that women should not have the right to an education in his address to Sor Juana,[1] he was renowned for reinforcing the status quo regarding women's gender roles, especially in his position as founder of a convent in 1680.[6] Using the rhetorical strategy of appealing to male authority, Fernández de Santa Cruz insinuated that Sor Juana's salvation was at stake if she did not heed his words and halt her studies.[1] Three months after its publication, Sor Juana responded to the letter,[2] using rhetorical strategies to address every claim made by Fernández de Santa Cruz.[1]

Critical analyses

Scholars have discussed the significance of Sor Juana's La Respuesta in many fields, including literary studies and philosophy.[1][7] Some scholars assert that La Respuesta shows Sor Juana's command of multiple literary genres and traditions, including the sermon and the imitatio Christi (imitation of Christ).[1]

Scholars emphasize the different strategies and genres Sor Juana used to represent herself as a woman of letters. In her letter to Sor Filotea, Sor Juana's justification for writing was done through her expression of her obedience.[8] Scholars identify satire, imitation, self-presentation, digression, and vivid descriptions as way to address controversies of her involvement in theology.

La Respuesta a Sor Filotea de la Cruz demonstrated the ongoing conflict between Sor Juana and the church to defend women education. La Respuesta is addressed to Sor Filotea de la Cruz, the pseudonym of Manuel Fernández de Santa Cruz. Sor Juana combines secular and religious references to defend herself and not remain silent, using scripture to argue that women belong in theological discourse.[9]

The rhetoric of humility in La Respuesta has been recognized by scholars as a tactic for Sor Juana's voice to be heard beyond the church, especially to male leaders. Scholars have recognized that Sor Juana's work had its limitations because she was a woman. The use of biblical figures[8] and self presentation is examined by scholars to make parallel to Saint Teresa's hagiography.[10]

Influences

Scholars have evaluated Sor Juana's influence today, with her presence on Mexican currency.[11] Marked as the first feminist to defend women through literary text,[8] Sor Juana has been recognized for her influence on literature as a woman on Mexico's 100 and 200 peso bills.[12]

Querelle des femmes

Querelle des femmes (dispute of women) is a literary strategy used to debate and defend women against misogynistic counterarguments. Querelle des femmes was a tool used for feminist discourse on gender differences that dealt with social neglect of various factors such as social, legal, and intellectual.[10] The style of genre built the foundation for female writers to enhance and move forward with the feminist movement and voice feminist issues.[10] Writers used the genre of writing to expose misogynistic messages against those in power and authority, using biblical, classical, and contemporary writings to defend women.[10]

The work of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz was influenced by querelle des femmes to argue women's right to education. La respuesta a Sor Filotea includes querelle des femmes by devoting space in the writing, comparing herself (Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz) to Christ and His suffering.[10] Sor Juana's use of Christ as a model King elevated her representation and of queens in her writing. Scholars interpret Sor Juana's use of exegesis as a way to teach to Sor Filotea.[8]

Saint Teresa

Scholars have linked Sor Juana's writing to Saint Teresa hagiography and rhetoric style.[10] Sor Juana's use of epistemic humility parallels to the self efficacy Teresa uses in language strategy to be heard in the church.[13]

References

  1. 1.[1.2][1.3][1.4][1.5][1.6][1.7][1.8][1.9][1.10]de la Cruz, Sor Juana Ines, Electa Arenal, and Amanda Powell. The Answer/La Respuesta. Second Critical Edition ed., New York: The Feminist Press, 2009.
  2. 2.[2.2][2.3][2.4]Peden, Margaret Sayers. “Sor Juana Inès de La Cruz’s Respuesta a Sor Filotea.” Review: Literature and Arts of the Americas 15, no. 30 (1981): 7. doi:10.1080/08905768108594128.
  3. 3.[3.2][3.3][3.4][3.5]Scott, Nina. "“If You are Not Pleased to Favor Me, Put Me Out of Your Mind…”: Gender and Authority in Sor Juana Inés De La Cruz: And the Translation of Her Letter to the Reverend Father Maestro Antonio Núñez of the Society of Jesus." Women's Studies International Forum 11, no. 5 (1988): 429–438. doi:10.1016/0277-5395(88)90019-2.
  4. 4.[4.2]Nesvig, Martin Austin. Ideology and Inquisition: The World of Censors in Early Mexico. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2009.
  5. 5.“Bishop Manuel Fernández de Santa Cruz y Sahagún.” Catholic Hierarchy. Published 25 February 2024. https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bfernscs.html.
  6. 6.Achim, Miruna. “Mysteries of the Heart: The Gift of Bishop Fernández de Santa Cruz to the Nuns of Santa Mónica.” Colonial Latin American Review 14, no. 1 (June 2005): 83–102. doi:10.1080/10609160500075235.
  7. 7.Brooke, Alice. “‘Las Ciencias Curiosas’: Curiosity, Studiousness and the New Philosophy in the Carta de Sor Filotea de La Cruz and the Respuesta a Sor Filotea de La Cruz.” Bulletin of Hispanic Studies (Liverpool, United Kingdom) 94, no. 7 (2017): 697–713. https://doi.org/10.3828/bhs.2017.43.
  8. 8.[8.2][8.3][8.4]Thomas, George Antony (2012). The politics and poetics of Sor Juana Inés de La Cruz. Women and gender in the early modern world. Surrey, England; Burlington, VT: Ashgate. ISBN 978-1-4094-3769-7.
  9. 9.Yugar, Theresa A. (2014). Sor juana ines de la cruz: feminist reconstruction of biography and text. Place of publication not identified: Wipf & Stock Publishers. ISBN 978-1-62564-440-4.
  10. 10.[10.2][10.3][10.4][10.5][10.6]Merrim, Stephanie (1999). Early modern women's writing and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1st ed.). Nashville: Vanderbilt Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0-8265-1338-0.
  11. 11.Kirk Rappaport, Pamela (1998). Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz: religion, art, and feminism. New York: Continuum. ISBN 978-0-8264-1043-6.
  12. 12."The Art of Mexico's Banknotes". IMF. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  13. 13."Project MUSE -- Verification required!". muse.jhu.edu. Retrieved 2026-04-15.