"Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, a seventeenth-century Mexican nun, is one of the most compelling figures of her age. A prolific writer, a learned scholar, and the first woman theologian of the Americas, she was also a defender of the dignity and rights of women in the midst of a fiercely patriarchal culture. In this study, Michelle Gonzalez examines Sor Juana's contributions as a foremother of many currents of contemporary theology. In particular, in joining aesthetics with the quest for truth and justice, her work and witness suggest new avenues for Hispanic, feminist, and other liberation theologies."--Jacket.