About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of Christianity on American history and democracy through the lens of Dr. Matthew Avery Sutton's book.

The book Chosen Land: How Christianity Made America and Americans Remade Christianity was released in early 2026. The subtitle succinctly announces the contents, which makes the book feel epic and profound. What the museum wants to know is how understanding the tale the author tells will equip citizens to be more effective stewards of the role of religion, and the freedom that fuels it, in perpetuating American constitutional democracy. https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/matthew-avery-sutton/chosen-land/9781541646339/ Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/03/how-christian-nationalist-became-epithet/686279/ NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/books/review/chosen-land-matthew-avery-sutton.html Christianity Today: https://www.christianitytoday.com/2026/03/american-christianity-more-than-politics-chosen-land-sutton-review/ Season 4, Episode 6 – Christianity and the History of the United States of America Guest Bio Dr. Matthew Avery Sutton is the Berry Family Distinguished Professor in the Liberal Arts at Washington State University and has written many books besides this one, about various aspects of religion and U.S. history, including Chosen Land: How…

People in this episode

Host: nationalmuseumofamericanreligion

Guest: Dr. Matthew Avery Sutton

Topics covered

• Christianity
• American history
• religion and democracy
• book discussion
• cultural impact

Keywords

• Christianity
• American history
• religion
• democracy
• book review
• Matthew Avery Sutton

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Washington State University

Books & works: Chosen Land: How Christianity Made America and Americans Remade Christianity, Double Crossed: The Missionaries Who Spied for the United States During the Second World War, Faith in the New Millennium: The Future of Religion and American Politics

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