Overview
- A Rolling Stone piece led by Stephen Rodrick sharply attacked Communion, arguing the book reads more like a personality-driven political project than an honest spiritual conversion.
- Some reviewers, including a conservative Washington Examiner critique, say Vance’s conversion appears real but warn he selectively invokes Catholic teaching to justify a nationalist agenda.
- The National Catholic Reporter found the memoir focuses on private faith and family life while largely dodging how Vance’s Catholicism shapes his actions as vice president, especially on immigration and human dignity.
- Critics point to tensions between passages of personal introspection and later political chapters that contain disputed claims and selective use of doctrine, which has intensified questions about Vance’s sincerity given past controversial remarks.
- The debate over Communion is shaping how Vance is seen as a senior Catholic in government and could influence how conservatives frame faith in public life and future political positioning.