Textual Authority Across Language and Canon

Sor Juana wrote biblical exegesis, critiqued male theologians, engaged classical texts, and positioned herself as authoritative interpreter of tradition. In colonial contexts where indigenous and mestizo peoples were excluded from textual authority, her interpretive voice represented a claim to intellectual legitimacy. Across cultures, who gets to interpret texts carries immense political weight: whose readings count as valid, whose voices shape cultural meaning, whose identity gets recognized as capable of serious intellectual work. For people navigating identity across cultures, engaging with canonical texts—whether through traditional or countercanonical readings—becomes an identity assertion. An immigrant interpreting their adopted nation's literature; an indigenous scholar reading colonizer texts; a woman engaged in theology: all claim authority through textual interpretation. This concept recognizes that literacy and interpretive power are never neutral. Asserting one's right to read, analyze, and critique established texts—whether agreeing or disagreeing—constitutes an identity claim. It says: my intelligence counts, my perspective matters, my voice belongs in the conversation that shapes cultural meaning.