ABSTRACT
The Carta atenagórica / Crisis sobre un sermón and Respuesta de la poetisa a la muy ilustre Sor Filotea de la Cruz are two of the most controversial and complex pieces of correspondence that Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz wrote. At any rate, Sor Juana did not have the opportunity to edit it as she did with her other works. Whether the Atenagórica was originally meant to challenge theological authority still raises questions. Perhaps Sor Juana intended merely to respond to the request to write down her comments as an exercise in criticism about a sermon in which she found rhetorical and interpretive flaws. Sor Juana's auto-didacticism, her understanding of science and theology, and her place in the intellectual world to which she contributed and in which she participated has further broadened investigations into the Respuesta. The Atenagórica and the Respuesta provide rich sources for intellectual intrigue and satisfaction.
