Grace Thompson
Former US Vice President Mike Pence has described himself as a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order. Growing up in an Irish Catholic family, Pence attended Catholic school, served as an altar boy, and was a Catholic youth minister. However, he later abandoned the Catholic Church, becoming a born-again, evangelical Catholic after experiencing a spiritual conversion in college. Pence has linked his Christian faith with his support for Israel, stating that his faith compels him to cherish the state of Israel. As Indiana governor and vice president, Pence supported religious freedom legislation but faced criticism from LGBTQ+ activists and others who alleged that his policies would enable discrimination.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Religion | Born-again, evangelical Catholic |
| Religious upbringing | Irish Catholic |
| Religious schools attended | Catholic school, Hanover College |
| Religious beliefs | Christian, conservative, Republican |
| Religious views | Supports "religious freedom", especially for Christians |
| Religious controversies | Signing of Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act, refusal to dine alone with a woman who is not his wife |
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What You'll Learn
Mike Pence's religious identity
Mike Pence, the former Vice President of the United States, has been described as a "born-again, evangelical Catholic". Growing up in an Irish Catholic family, Pence attended Catholic school, served as an altar boy, and went to parochial school in Columbus, Indiana. He has also referred to himself as "a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order".
Pence made a commitment to Christ while taking part in a nondenominational Christian student group in college. He told The Indianapolis Star that he and his family attended the Grace Evangelical Church in the 1990s. By 2013, he told Fehrman that they were "kind of looking for a church". In 2016, Pence and his wife regularly worshipped at College Park Church, a nondenominational church in Indianapolis.
Pence's religious beliefs have informed his politics and style. He has linked his support for Israel with his faith, stating that his "Christian faith compels him to cherish the state of Israel". He has also been a strong supporter of "religious freedom", particularly for Christians. As Indiana governor, he signed the state's Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which ignited a firestorm of nationwide controversy. Critics alleged that it would allow individuals and businesses to legally discriminate against members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Pence's religious and political biography reflects key shifts over the past 40 years, from the rise of the religious right to the coalition of evangelicals and Catholics across denominational lines. His appearance at Notre Dame University, a Catholic school, ended in a student walkout, and his appearance at Taylor University, an evangelical school, led to the resignation of its president.
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Pence's Catholic upbringing
Former Vice President Mike Pence has described himself as "a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order." However, Pence was raised in an Irish Catholic family and attended Catholic school, serving as an altar boy at his family's church. He also volunteered for the Democratic Party in his teens and idolized John F. Kennedy.
Pence's political and religious views began to shift when he attended Hanover College in 1978. There, he experienced an evangelical conversion while attending a music festival in Kentucky, billed as the "Christian Woodstock." He became a born-again Christian and identified his first year of college as the moment he made a commitment to Christ. After this, Pence continued to attend Mass and was a Catholic youth minister.
In the mid-1990s, Pence identified as a "born-again, evangelical Catholic," an unusual term that caused some consternation among both evangelicals and Catholics. He attended nondenominational evangelical churches with his family from 1995 onwards. In 1994, he and his family joined an evangelical megachurch, the Grace Evangelical Church. By 2013, he stated that his family was "kind of looking for a church." In 2016, Pence and his wife regularly worshipped at College Park Church, a nondenominational church in Indianapolis.
Despite his shift to evangelical Christianity, Pence has spoken fondly about his Catholic upbringing and the impact it has had on his life and the nation. He has expressed his deep appreciation for the Catholic Church's rich contributions to the fabric of American life. Pence has also urged the Catholic community to continue standing up and speaking out, emphasizing the need to be a voice for the voiceless and to embrace the dignity of all people.
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Pence's evangelical conversion
Mike Pence, the former Vice President of the United States, has been described as a "born-again, evangelical Catholic". He grew up in an Irish Catholic family, serving as an altar boy and attending parochial school and Catholic school. In college, Pence made a "commitment to Christ" while taking part in a nondenominational Christian student group. He has described this conversion as giving him a “personal relationship with Jesus Christ” that “changed everything”.
Pence attended Mass, where he met his wife, and was a Catholic youth minister. In a 1994 news piece, he called himself Catholic. However, by 1995, he and his family had joined an evangelical megachurch, the Grace Evangelical Church. In 2013, Pence said his family was "kind of looking for a church" again. In 2016, Pence and his wife regularly worshipped at College Park Church, a nondenominational church in Indianapolis.
Pence's religious beliefs have informed his politics. He has linked his support for Israel with his faith, stating that his "Christian faith compels him to cherish the state of Israel". Pence has also been a strong supporter of "religious freedom", signing Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act in 2015. This act was controversial, with critics alleging that it would allow legal discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community.
Pence's evangelical beliefs have made him popular with conservative evangelical Christians, although his time in the White House has also been controversial, even among evangelicals. His appearance at Notre Dame University, a Catholic school, ended in a student walkout, and his appearance at the Southern Baptist Convention’s 2018 denominational meeting was objected to by some delegates.
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How his faith has influenced his politics
Former US Vice President Mike Pence has described himself as a "born-again evangelical Catholic". He grew up in an Irish Catholic family, serving as an altar boy and attending parochial Catholic school. However, in college, he had an "evangelical religious experience" and made a commitment to Christ while taking part in a non-denominational Christian student group.
Pence's faith has been a driving force in his life and has influenced his politics. He has stated that he is "a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order". He has also been described as a culture warrior and has been popular with conservative evangelical Christians. Pence's religious beliefs have informed his political style and policies, and he has been criticised and mocked for his faith and values. However, he stands behind his beliefs and is not afraid to share them.
Pence has linked his support for Israel with his faith, stating that his "Christian faith compels him to cherish the state of Israel". He has also been a strong supporter of "religious freedom", signing Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act in 2015, which ignited a firestorm of controversy as critics alleged that it would allow legal discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community. Facing backlash, Pence approved changes to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Pence's faith has also influenced his stance on social issues. He has opposed the expansion of abortion rights and federal spending on embryonic stem cell research, pushed for a constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage, and supported private education initiatives. In addition, Pence has raised eyebrows for his refusal to eat alone with a woman who is not his wife or attend events where alcohol is served without her, a rule popularized by evangelist Billy Graham.
In conclusion, Pence's faith has been a central aspect of his life and has significantly influenced his political career. His religious beliefs have guided his policies, values, and style as a politician, and he has been both praised and criticised for his stance on various issues informed by his Christian faith.
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His reputation as a 'culture warrior'
Mike Pence has been described as a "culture warrior" by Roll Call, a US political newspaper. Pence's religious beliefs are said to inform his politics and style more than anything else. He has described himself as "a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order".
Pence grew up in an Irish Catholic family, serving as an altar boy and attending parochial school. He made a commitment to Christ while at college, joining a nondenominational Christian student group. He has since attended nondenominational evangelical churches with his family.
Pence has a track record of legalizing discrimination and acting against women and marginalized people. He has refused to dine alone with a woman who is not his wife and has opposed policies that would benefit women, such as President George W. Bush's Medicare prescription drug expansion in 2003. He has also pushed for policies that would discriminate against members of the LGBTQ+ community. In 2015, as governor of Indiana, he signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which critics alleged would allow individuals and businesses to legally discriminate against LGBTQ+ people. Facing backlash, Pence eventually approved changes to the Act to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and other factors.
Pence has also pushed for more funding for private education initiatives and signed multiple anti-abortion bills, including one banning abortions based on the fetus's race, gender, or disability, and requiring funerary services for terminated fetuses, including miscarriages. A federal judge later ruled this law unconstitutional.
Pence's actions and policies have made him a polarizing figure, even among evangelicals. His appearance at Notre Dame University, a Catholic school, ended in a student walkout, and his appearance at an evangelical school, Taylor University, led to the resignation of its president.
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Frequently asked questions
Mike Pence was raised Catholic and served as an altar boy at his family's church. He attended parochial school and continued to attend Mass after his conversion to evangelical Christianity.
Yes, Pence is a Christian. He experienced a spiritual conversion in 1978 at a music festival in Kentucky, which he described as giving him a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that changed everything. He has since referred to himself as a pretty ordinary Christian.
Pence has described himself as an evangelical Catholic, a term that has caused some consternation among both Catholics and evangelicals. He has attended nondenominational evangelical churches with his family since at least 1995.
