With a geographic position marked by transition between large regions and human identities, the territory that is now Portugal has always been a place of passage, of meeting of people and populations. Over the centuries, this characteristic has allowed great diversities to coexist in this small country.
There has also been a wealth of religious diversity in Portugal, resulting from this trait of being a point of contact, since the most distant days of Antiquity, both in the polytheistic and the monotheistic world, revealing a tension between the many and the one.
The work Portugal and Religion - The Heritage of the Diversity sets forth on a path leading us from the now-remote Latin presence and the birth of Christianity, passing through the Jewish and Islamic presence, showing us how, from a situation of recognising difference, we moved into a context of intolerance and inquisitorial persecution.
In more recent times, we follow the return to a path of acceptance of diversity, with the abolition of the Inquisition, the rebirth of Jewish communities, the arrival of the first Protestant communities and, in the mid-20th century, the enhancement of this diversity, whether through religious freedom or migration.
The author also shows us the current situation, characterising religious communities and their social dynamics. This journey gives us a deeper insight into the reality that is central to Portuguese identity and culture: religious diversity.
Completing the volume, the stamp issue presents seven religious and spiritual traditions that are important in Portugal, showing us their symbology and an architecturally representative space, with the images offering a complement to the words.
Paulo Mendes Pinto
Author of the book published by CTT,
Portugal and Religion - The Heritage of the Diversity
