This paper concerns the role and function of religious-based organizations in strengthening associational life. Taking Portugal as a case study, it asks whether the concept of muted vibrancy provides theoretical understanding to the role of Catholicism in contemporary Portuguese society. That is, how might a church in a newly consolidated democratic regime, in a time of economic crisis, with a past relationship to a fascist regime, and with declining numbers of adherents, contribute to the deepening of democracy?
