Oath of allegiance as a mechanism of political control over Catholics in Elizabethan England

Introduction. The reign of Elizabeth I demonstrates the successful maintenance of state stability in a situation of permanent internal tension caused by religious and political confrontation. In this context, the evolution of political control mechanisms, among which oaths of allegiance played a key role, is of particular interest. The oaths, approved through the adoption of the Act of Supremacy (1559) and the Union of London (1584), were central elements of state policy, forming its basis in the areas of religious sovereignty and the physical security of the crown. The relevance of the study is due to the need for a deep understanding of not only repressive but also integrative instruments of power capable of transforming the loyalty of diverse population groups into the basis of the regime’s legitimacy. Results. Studying this problem allows us to identify strategic models of governance in times of crisis, which has not only historical but also theoretical significance for political science and sociology. The aim of the study is to identify, on the basis of a comparative analysis of the oaths provided for in the Act of Supremacy (1559) and the Bond of Association (1584), how verbal confirmation of loyalty was used as an instrument of political control and perceived by the Catholic community in England. The methodological basis of the work consists of descriptive, essential-content and comparative-historical methods applied within the framework of a functional approach. The main conclusion of the study is that the oath of allegiance evolved from an instrument of identification of religious opposition (the Act of Supremacy), which created a conflict of identity, to a mechanism of mobilization and integration through joint responsibility for the safety of the monarch (the Bond of Association). While the first act excluded Catholics from the public sphere, the second incorporated them into the system of defense of the Protestant state, demonstrating the flexibility of the oath as a key instrument of governance in times of crisis

Allegiance · Loyalty · Oath · Politics · Sovereignty · Toleration · Reformation and Early Modern Christianity · Scottish History and National Identity · Sustainable Development and Policies

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