The Right to Intellectual Autonomy

Sor Juana fought fiercely for her right to read, study theology, and publish her ideas despite institutional pressure to renounce intellectual pursuits. This concept affirms that religious identity formation—whether toward belief, doubt, or departure—requires intellectual autonomy as a prerequisite. Institutions and families often demand that members surrender critical thinking in exchange for belonging. This framework reclaims autonomy as non-negotiable: you cannot authentically believe or disbelieve without the freedom to think. For doubters and leavers especially, asserting this right is an act of self-respect. It positions religious identity as something earned through genuine reflection rather than inherited passively or abandoned reactively.