Justice as Spiritual Practice

Sor Juana's intellectual work consistently engaged questions of justice—the exclusion of women from education, the hierarchies of colonial society, the silencing of indigenous voices. She understood that spirituality divorced from justice becomes complicit in oppression. This concept insists that religious identity must be interrogated for its justice implications: Does this tradition protect vulnerable people or enable their exploitation? Does this practice liberation or constraint? For believers, it requires examining whether one's faith actively participates in justice or merely claims to. For doubters, it names that some doubts are not signs of weak faith but indicators of integrity—refusing to accept teachings that harm. For those leaving, it validates departure based not on intellectual disagreement alone but on recognition that a tradition perpetuates injustice. Conversely, it honors people who remain in traditions specifically to reform them toward greater justice. This framework, rooted in liberation theology and prophetic witness, insists that the question "Is this true?" must always accompany "Does this serve justice?"