JD Vance Publishes Second Memoir, Promotes 'Communion' on TV Amid Iran Talks

Q: What role did a tech billionaire play in the spiritual and political journey outlined in the Vice-President's new memoir?

Peter Thiel, the tech billionaire and venture capitalist, is portrayed as an important catalyst in JD Vance’s journey, especially on the spiritual side, while his broader political role sits more in the background of the memoir. In *Communion*, Vance credits a 2011 encounter with Thiel at Yale Law School as a turning point. Vance writes that Thiel was one of the smartest people he had met, yet openly Christian, which challenged Vance’s assumption that serious intellectual life and religious belief were incompatible. Thiel also introduced him to ideas associated with philosopher René Girard, which helped shape Vance’s eventual return to faith and his later conversion to Catholicism. Outside that spiritual influence, reporting on the book and Vance’s career shows Thiel also played a major practical role in his rise. Thiel helped bring Vance into Silicon Valley, backed his work in venture capital, and later provided major financial support for his 2022 Senate campaign. Coverage of the memoir suggests that while Vance acknowledges Thiel’s importance in prompting his religious rethinking, the book gives much less attention to how central Thiel was as a mentor, patron and financier in Vance’s political ascent. So, the clearest answer is that Thiel served as both an intellectual spur to Vance’s religious conversion and a powerful benefactor in his career, though the memoir emphasizes the former more than the latter.

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 23

JD Vance has released his second book, the faith memoir "Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith," and used recent TV appearances to promote it while serving as vice president.
On ABC's "The View," Vance tried to steer questions away from politics—telling hosts "I'm here to sell books"—even as they pressed him on his public duties.
On Fox News days later, he joked that the show gave him practice for "very hostile negotiations" and said of diplomatic protocol around Iran, "I don't really understand these things."
Amazon restricted reviews to verified purchasers because of "unusual review activity," while Goodreads suspended reviews altogether, making broader reader reaction harder to gauge.
The book push has drawn scrutiny because it coincides with sensitive Iran negotiations and wider concern over the economic fallout of a possible conflict.