JD Vance has a new book about his religious faith, 'Communion,' coming out later this spring

“The story of how I regained my faith, of course, only happened because I had lost it to begin with,” Vance, 41, said in a statement.

“The interesting question that hangs over this book, and over my mind, is why I ever strayed from the path. Why the Christian faith of my youth failed to properly take root,” he wrote.

The announcement Tuesday is likely to ramp up speculation that Vance will seek the presidency in 2028 — a possibility the Republican vice president has said he’s not focused on right now, indicating he’d wait until after the 2026 midterm elections to decide on a campaign.

Presidential hopefuls often, though not always, release books before launching a campaign, giving them a moment in the spotlight before new audiences and a chance to crystallize their message embarking on a campaign. Already, potential 2028 candidates on the Democratic side have published books or are planning to roll them out this year, including Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris.

Vance wrote the 304-page “Communion” himself, according to his publisher, working on it off and on since 2019, and it will include material on his time in politics. Vice presidents from Walter Mondale to Mike Pence have published books, but Vance would be the first in recent memory to do so while in office.

In 2022, HarperCollins told the AP that Vance had set aside a planned religious memoir. Some of “Communion” is drawn from that project.

Vance has said he evolved from Christianity to atheism to Catholicism. He converted in 2019 and credits his new faith with giving him a sense of purpose he didn’t get through his education at Yale University or working in the financial industry.

“Hillbilly Elegy,” Vance’s memoir about his rural roots, was widely read upon its publication and only grew in popularity after Republican Donald Trump’s stunning presidential victory in 2016, when Democrats sought out the book as a way of understanding Trump’s appeal. Ron Howard adapted “Hillbilly Elegy” into a 2020 movie starring Glenn Close and Amy Adams.

Vance initially was a critic of Trump but became a close ally. He was elected to the Senate as a Republican from Ohio in 2022 and was chosen two years later by Trump as his running mate, becoming the youngest vice president since Richard Nixon served under President Dwight Eisenhower in the 1950s.

The news about Vance's book followed Monday's announcement by his wife, Usha Vance, that she has started a podcast called “Storytime with the Second Lady” to promote reading among children.

The Vances have three young children, and Usha Vance is pregnant with their fourth, a boy due in late July.

Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.