Gendered Access to Religious Authority and Knowledge

Sor Juana's entire intellectual struggle stems from the Church's denial of women's right to theological study and authority. This gendered restriction is not peripheral to her story but central: she could not become a priest, could not formally teach theology, could not claim institutional authority despite her superior intellect. This concept illuminates how religious identity formation differs fundamentally for marginalized groups. Those excluded from power within their tradition face distinct pressures: to suppress themselves to belong, to leave to find legitimacy, or to build alternative authorities outside institutional structures. For women, LGBTQ+ people, and other marginalized believers, the path from belief through doubt to potentially leaving is often less about doctrinal questions than about recognizing systematic exclusion. Sor Juana's life asks: Can one remain in a tradition that denies one's full humanity? This reframes many departures not as loss of faith but as refusal to accept institutional dehumanization.