Religious feeling and values in Portugal: a comparison with Spain and catholic Europe

Abstract

Despite the fact that it is one of the most catholic countries in Europe, there is some inter- and intra-generational erosion of catholicism in Portugal. Different levels of religious feeling in Europe can be explained to a great extent by the degree to which the values of social individualization have been absorbed. Hitherto these have been less developed in Portugal than in other countries, but they are currently in a state of flux and are converging with those of Western Europe. This fact raises questions as to the future of traditional Portuguese religious feeling.