WSU’s Sutton named Carnegie Fellow for project on Satan in American politics

It's been a heady couple of months for historian and author Matthew Avery Sutton.

His new book, Chosen Land, a compelling exploration of how America's fractious religious culture has shaped its history, came out in March to glowing reviews and national attention. In recent weeks, he's penned op-eds and been a sought-after interview about the intersection of religion and politics.

On Tuesday, he was awarded an Andrew Carnegie Fellowship, a prestigious honor that joins Sutton's Fulbright and Guggenheim awards on a crowded list of accolades. The fellowship will support research for his next book, an examination of the way that beliefs about Satan, demons and evil have influenced U.S. politics, from the post-World War II era to the Satanic Panic of the 1980s through the religious underpinnings of current political rhetoric.

The project, tentatively titled The Devil in Modern America, fits squarely into Sutton's long-term project of helping Americans understand the ways religion sits at the heart of the country's history.

"For me, it's first and foremost trying to explain to people that religion matters, that it is central to American history, and that we can't really understand American history without understanding the role that religion has played in it," said Sutton, the chair and Claudius O. and Mary Johnson Distinguished Professor in the WSU Department of History.

"Part of what is dividing Americans politically is the sense that we're not just debating policy, in terms of the greatest good for the greatest number, but that, for some Americans, there are these deep religious and spiritual forces behind our politics. When one side sees the other as literally satanic, polarization becomes not a clash of ideas but a crusade of good versus evil."

When one side sees the other as literally satanic, polarization becomes not a clash of ideas but a crusade of good versus evil.

Sutton was one of 24 fellows selected from more than 380 nominations for 2026 by the Carnegie Corporation of New York to support work in the social sciences and humanities. It is the 10th year of the fellowship program, which has focused in recent years on work highlighting ways to address social division and foster unity. Recipients receive $200,000 to support their work.

"Professor Sutton's selection is a powerful recognition of the role humanities research plays in helping society navigate complex issues," said College of Arts and Sciences Dean Courtney Meehan. "It also highlights the depth of scholarship within the College, and the important contributions WSU faculty are making to national conversations."

Sutton developed an early interest in religion and politics growing up in Southern California during the culture wars of 1980s and '90s. When he entered college, he was drawn toward history as the pathway to understanding those dynamics more fully. He earned his PhD at University of California, Santa Barbara, in 2005, and has been at WSU since 2008.

"All of my work since then has been trying to explain to secular audiences why religion matters, what religious people are thinking and doing, and how to make sense of their worldviews, while simultaneously working with religious communities to help them come to understand their own histories," he said.

In a nation with religious freedom and a wide range of competing religious traditions, the ability to understand the beliefs of others is paramount. Sutton's recently published book explores how the First Amendment led to the formation of a "competitive, free-market religious landscape."

He demonstrates how these religious differences and the scramble for power and cultural authority shaped the nation's history at every step along the way. He depicts how those in power used religion for political ends, an exercise of power denied to people of color and others outside the mainstream, who took up religion in their own ways to drive efforts for liberation and equality. The through-line that crosses many of those religious differences has been a common belief among many Americans that they operate under God's particular favor.

"We can see from 1617 to Ronald Reagan to today, there is this overarching theme that Americans see themselves as something special, as God's chosen people to help orchestrate his plans for the globe," he said. "So that's consistent over time. But what's different through the years is what that means for every generation and how that plays out in every particular context, place, or time."

Sutton's book has been favorably reviewed in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and elsewhere. He's also authored recent op-eds in the The Wall Street Journal and The Nation.

Sutton was nominated for the fellowship by WSU President Betsy Cantwell following a committee review of candidates across the WSU system.

"Dr. Sutton's project clearly stood out among several exceptional nominees," Cantwell wrote in her nomination letter. "The review committee unanimously agreed that his was of the highest caliber in terms of originality, interpretive framework and potential to reach public audiences. Most importantly, the committee recognized Dr. Sutton's proposed book as a critically needed - even urgent - scrutiny into the origins of our current political polarization."

Through his scholarship, Sutton strives to present the lessons of history as the material for citizens to shape their future - a message he conveys to his students.

"I love teaching the first-year introductory course to students here at WSU because I explain to them: This is not about names and dates and memorization," he said. "This is about understanding the past so that you can understand how you got here, and how the world that you are growing up in became what it is. I want you to learn from the past so that you have the tools to try to build the better future that you want for yourselves."