The Christian faith of JD Vance

The once ‘hillbilly’ evangelical is now a powerful Catholic. Heather Tomlinson explores the changing faith of the Vice President of the United States 

Whether US Vice President JD Vance is perceived as a hero or a villain depends which side of the culture wars the observer sits.

Either way, his confident assertions of a conservative Christian perspective are of a different nature to his more diplomatic predecessor Mike Pence, and are closely tied to his dramatic changes he has personally experienced in social status, political ideology and religious belief.  

For those who see him as a hero, he is one of the few people in power who have challenged the treatment of Christians for expressing their views in the UK, explicitly citing the case of Adam Smith-Connor who was prosecuted for standing outside an abortion clinic for just silently praying.  

For those who see him as a villain, his alignment with President Donald Trump is enough to condemn him, along with his conservative opinions on abortion and immigration.  

Yet it wasn’t too long ago that Vance was not