Chosen Land

Matthew Avery Sutton's 'Chosen Land' traces how Christianity shaped key moments in American history and how Americans in turn reinvented Christianity across generations.

Sutton argues the founders' pragmatic disestablishment opened space for powerful Protestant groups to form an unofficial establishment that influenced politics, expansion, and culture.

He explores revivalism, the Civil War's religious dimensions, missionary efforts in the West, and the rise of entrepreneurial, consumer-oriented churches.

Sutton highlights 'liberationist' Christian traditions—Indigenous, Black, and other progressive movements—that challenged dominant paradigms.

The book also examines contemporary implications, including Christian nationalism and declining Christian affiliation, asking whether American Christianity faces a last gasp or another revival.