Prize Announcement: The British Catholic History Best Article Prize

‘This article traces and examines the career of Bishop George Hay (1729-1811), Vicar Apostolic of the lowland district of Scotland, through the lens of his application of the theological principles of passive obedience and non-resistance to criticise revolutionary ideology. This philosophy, which had previously informed the Catholic Church’s response to the Jacobite cause, was transformed by Hay into an effective analytical tool and weapon to be employed by the Church in Britain against the revolutionary movements that developed in the Atlantic world in the late eighteenth century. This is a well-argued and fluently-written article. The evidence, which is dexterously handled, is identified and gathered from a broad range of primary and secondary sources, including the most recent research findings. The author provides in the opening pages an impressively succinct summary of the historical background of the subject and skillfully sets the context for the argument and discussion which follow. This is an important piece of original research. The wide range of sources used and the excellent scholarly method and apparatus employed are admirably supported by the narrative skills of the author which ensure that the argument remains lucid and accessible as it is unfolded. The article makes an important contribution to the canon.’