JD Vance's new memoir explores faith amid Catholic Church challenges

Quote of the Day by JD Vance: 'If The Titanic is going down, I'd rather be on...'

JD Vance, the US Vice President and bestselling author of Hillbilly Elegy, has released his second memoir titled Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith. Published on June 18, 2026, the book delves into Vance's spiritual journey, tracing his transformation from atheism to Roman Catholicism.

One quote from the memoir has sparked widespread discussion: "If the Titanic is going down, I'd rather be on board than hop on a lifeboat." At first glance, the statement may seem puzzling, but Vance uses this metaphor to express his choice to embrace Catholicism during a challenging period for the Church. His conversion in 2019 came at a time when the Catholic Church was grappling with scandals and witnessing a decline in membership. Vance explained that he preferred to stand by the Church despite its struggles, reflecting his deep sense of loyalty, obligation, and belonging.

Vance's upbringing in Ohio, detailed in Hillbilly Elegy, was marked by family instability, addiction, poverty, and frequent upheaval. Raised primarily by his grandmother, "Mamaw," who held strong evangelical Protestant beliefs, Vance initially identified as a Christian during his teenage years. However, his faith waned during his college and law school years, leading him to skepticism and atheism.

His eventual return to Christianity was as much intellectual and philosophical as it was emotional. Vance credits French Catholic thinker René Girard and his theory of "mimetic desire", the idea that human desires are often shaped by others, as a major influence on his rediscovery of faith. Girard's writings deepened Vance's understanding of Christianity's explanations of human behavior, morality, and social order.

After years of study and reflection, Vance entered the Catholic Church in August 2019 through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). He was baptized and confirmed at St. Gertrude Priory in Cincinnati, Ohio, choosing St. Augustine as his confirmation saint, inspired by Augustine's influence on his thinking. In his memoir, Vance also shared how his Hindu wife, Usha Vance, observed that while therapy did not help him, attending church did.

Through Communion, JD Vance offers readers a candid account of his spiritual evolution, underscored by his steadfast commitment to Catholicism even during turbulent times for the Church. His much-discussed Titanic metaphor encapsulates his belief in standing firm with one's faith in the face of adversity.