Postliberal Influence on Vance’s Political Views

Vance’s spiritual journey also led him to the “postliberal” Catholic intellectual movement, a group with which he shares many ideological beliefs. Postliberals oppose abortion and LGBTQ+ rights, but they also advocate for a more interventionist government to address societal problems. This movement, however, has attracted criticism for its authoritarian leanings and historical associations with right-wing regimes. Vance has aligned himself with certain postliberal ideals, particularly in his calls for Republicans to seize control of institutions like universities and enact policies promoting childbearing.

Balancing Catholicism with Policy

Although Vance’s Catholic faith informs some of his views, he has separated some of his religious beliefs from policy decisions. For instance, while opposing abortion, he recently supported exceptions for rape, incest, and life-threatening situations. Vance’s political influences extend beyond Catholic postliberals, including figures like Donald Trump and billionaire Peter Thiel. However, it remains to be seen how much influence postliberal thinkers will have if Vance assumes a national leadership role.

For an example of what an administration using state power for postliberal ends might look like, Waller pointed to Florida and Gov. Ron DeSantis’ efforts to rid public higher education of diversity initiatives and critical race theory.

“If you want the model for what someone like JD Vance is really interested in, it’s probably the Florida model, forcefully changing institutions, capturing institutions,” Waller said.

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JD Vance’s Catholicism helped shape his views. So did this little-known group of Catholic thinkers

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