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When JD Vance published his best-selling memoir Hillbilly Elegy in 2016, he had drifted away from organized religion. Today, as Vice President and a likely 2028 presidential contender, Vance is a practicing Catholic. His highly anticipated second book, Communion, chronicles this profound spiritual conversion.
The book hits bookshelves amidst a remarkable shift: Catholicism is experiencing a massive resurgence among Gen Z and young conservatives in the United States, carving out a new political identity distinct from traditional evangelical Protestantism.
Aligning Faith with the “New Right” Agenda
In Communion, Vance connects his religious conversion directly to his political transformation from a Donald Trump critic to his loyal Vice President. Through a Catholic lens, Vance argues for major policy shifts:
- Family First: Prioritizing family well-being over Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
- Immigration: Strictly limiting migration and rejecting concepts like Universal Basic Income (UBI).
- Pro-Life Support: Discouraging abortions by significantly improving economic conditions for new mothers.
“I had looked inside our elite institutions and found them intellectually and spiritually broken,” Vance writes. “Was it any surprise that I would eventually reject their politics as well?”
Stepping Out From Trump’s Shadow
Publishing a book while serving as a sitting Vice President is an incredibly rare move. Political experts note that this strategic release allows Vance to establish himself as the intellectual future of the Republican party on a compressed timeline, especially since Donald Trump is constitutionally barred from a third term.
By focusing on faith rather than day-to-day White House operations, Vance successfully builds an independent national profile without causing friction or projecting disloyalty to Trump.
Tensions Between Washington and the Vatican
Vance’s embodiment of the “New Right” Catholic movement comes at a time of growing friction between American conservative politicians and the Vatican. Trump has openly criticized Catholic leadership over lenient immigration stances, prompting Vance to publicly advise the Vatican to “stick to matters of morality.”
In defense of the administration’s border crackdowns, Vance previously cited the medieval Catholic theology “ordo amoris” (the order of love), arguing that a citizen’s first moral duty is to love and protect their own country before prioritizing the rest of the world.
Despite the political “vibes” and surging conversions among young high-profile conservatives, sociologists warn that the macro-level trends for organized religion in America still face long-term demographic challenges. However, heading into 2028, experts agree that the Catholic vote remains determinative for the future of the nation.
