About Contemporary Secularism: a Portuguese Case Study in a Democratic Period (Post-1974)

Abstract

Our article addresses the different dimensions and the diverse shapes of contemporary secularism. Our theoretical framework derives from Alfred Stepan’ multiple secularisms perspective and Rajeev Bhargava’s context-sensitive analysis of different political, social and religious environments. In order to do it, we circumscribe our research in the relations between the Portuguese state and the churches and religious communities in the post 1974 period. By examining its democratic pattern of state-church relations, namely through the analysis of the established mechanisms of financial support, we intend to understand in which of the current models of secularism Portugal fits in. The fact that this is a contested case study, where we find a model of separation with cooperation between State and church and, consequently, a spirit of dialogue, negotiation and of enduring (re)definitions of public and symbolic space of both of them, with special emphasis on one specific religion, certainly help us to comprehend how ambiguous and pliable the boundaries of modern secularism can be.

Keywords

• Portugal
• Democracia
• Múltiplos secularismos.