‘Christianity to me was Mamaw’: JD Vance opens up about faith journey and choosing Catholicism
In his new book “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith," Vice President JD Vance unveils the story of his spiritual journey — straying from the Christianity of his youth, periods of atheism, and his eventual conversion to Catholicism in 2019.In a recent interview with BlazeTV’s Allie Beth Stuckey, Vance opened up about his turbulent faith journey, the pain of losing his anchor in Christianity, and what ultimately led him back to God through Catholicism. Raised primarily by his Baptist “Mamaw,” Vance’s childhood was defined by Scripture readings, televised Billy Graham revivals, and occasional church visits — an upbringing he describes as devout but “unchurched.”When Mamaw passed away when Vance was 20 years old, the faith she had raised him with fizzled quickly.“I was an atheist two years later ... Christianity to me was Mamaw, and when that was gone ... I just didn't really have any anchor to Christianity anymore,” he says.But there was another factor in his falling away from faith: the evangelical church's heavy emphasis on culture wars, especially the Terri Schiavo case, which he felt distanced from in light of his impending Iraq deployment, loss of his grandmother, and his mother’s severe drug addiction.“Why are we talking so much about [Terri Schiavo] when I saw so much that was going wrong in my own community that it felt like the church wasn't speaking to,” he recounts, emphasizing the importance of Christians caring about both public policy and the individual issues impacting communities.“There was this sense of almost betrayal that there was a total chaotic situation in my own life, and the faith didn't speak to it in the same way. And again, was that totally fair? No, but it's certainly part of the story of why I lost my faith,” he confesses.As a born-and-raised Southern Baptist, Allie has a different perspective on evangelicalism.“Something I really appreciate about evangelicals is not only, you know, doctrinal fidelity and being consistent on that, but the willingness to take that and take those doctrines into the culture and to say, ‘Look, if God is the creator and the authority of all things, then that has to dictate what we think about life ... [and] all of these other other issues as well,” she explains, “and when Christians don't do that, especially if evangelicals didn't do that, we'd be in a really bad spot.”Despite these strengths, Vance ultimately found his way back to faith through a different tradition.After achieving much worldly success, he found himself feeling empty and uninspired despite being surrounded by fellow high achievers at Yale Law School.“These Christians in my life, they're actually the ones who seem to have it figured out. Like they're much happier, they're much healthier, they're much more well-adjusted,” Vance recalls.“So that got me on the pathway of like, well, if they're right about virtue and they're right about character and they're right about the things that actually matter, maybe they're right about Jesus. Maybe this actually comes from some inner truth that radiates outward.”This intellectual and personal reckoning eventually led Vance to Catholicism in 2019.To hear more about his spiritual journey — including what ultimately drew him to Catholicism rather than the evangelical faith of his youth — watch the full interview above.Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
