As a corollary, some of my fav reviews of JD's Vance's book about his Catholicism have been from Catholics noting how EXTREMELY Evangelical the book and its thinking on Christianity is, without Vance seemingly realizing it at all. How a lot of the talking about Catholicism is very base-level lip service about some of the best known Catholic philosophers mixed with Evangelical ideals like all believers having their own personal connection with God that is equal to all other believers' (aka denying the Pope/bishops as an authority b/c your connection with God is the same as theirs). That's a LOT of TradCaths right now.
For some fun yet balanced reviews/recent JD moments:
"The cover art features the Mount Zion United Methodist Church in Elk Creek, Virginia, and a publisher’s note at the beginning of the book states that each Bible passage contained within is from the King James Version, a translation that comes out of the Protestant tradition." Catholic Review
"With the exception of differentiating the current pontiff from Pope Leo XIII as he quoted from his 1891 encyclical “Rerum Novarum” at length, and referencing his attendance at the papal inauguration Mass in May 2025, Vance does not otherwise mention Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pope." Catholic Review
"In 2025, Vance also drew scrutiny from some church leaders when he cited a medieval Catholic theology known as “ordo amoris” in justifying Trump’s immigration crackdown. Vance explained the doctrine as: “You love your family, and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country. And then after that, you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world.” Pope Francis later pushed back against Vance’s interpretation in a letter to US bishops." CNN
"It’s hard to imagine a reality-based conversation about the intersection of Catholic ethics and immigration policy with a man who campaigned for the Vice-Presidency by spreading calumnies about Haitian immigrants eating the pet cats and dogs of their neighbors in Ohio." The New Yorker
"One suspects that Vance would have a better grasp of Catholic customs and vibes if he spent more time around rank-and-file parishioners in “fraternal sharing and in ecclesial communion,” to borrow Pope Leo’s words. But Vance admits that, about “half the time these days, we attend Mass at home.”" The New Yorker
"He seems confused about what Catholicism is and doesn't seem to understand that Christian beliefs aren't the same as a list of conservative talking points." Yahoo News
"In short, "Communion" is a show of hubris from a recent convert who had a bespoke conversion experience with a bishop and is promoting himself as a moral, thoughtful Catholic. Many converts to Catholicism are attracted to the smells, bells and communal experience of the church, but it takes time to learn Catholic theology and beliefs. Although Vance quotes Augustine and C.S. Lewis, it's the Catholicism of Peter Thiel, the PayPal founder and Republican megadonor who has recently been lecturing on the antichrist, that appears to attract him most." Yahoo News
