Larry Clark ’94

A conversation with historian Matthew Avery Sutton about Christianity in America

Christian faith has always played a significant part in American public life. Today nearly two-thirds of Americans identify as Christian, even if many don’t regularly attend church. The story of the United States is intertwined with the religion despite being a nation with a secular Constitution.

Matthew Avery Sutton, Claudius O. and Mary Johnson Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of History at Washington State University, explores that story in his book Chosen Land: How Christianity Made America and Americans Remade Christianity (Basic Books, 2026). His expansive history of … » More …