O modelo de secularismo português: análise dos padrões democráticos de relação estado-religião(ões) no Portugal pós-25 de Abril

This paper aims to study the different dimensions and the diverse shapes of contemporary secularism. Through a descriptive analysis, which has multiple secularisms’ perspective and context sensitive analysis as its theoretical framework, we examine the relations between the Portuguese state and the churches and religious communities in the post 1974 period. By examining its democratic pattern of state-religion relations, namely through the analysis of the established mechanisms of financial support, we try 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 religion 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 religious organization, will help us comprehend how ambiguous and pliable the boundaries of modern secularism can be.