Dr. Matthew Avery Sutton is Edward R. Meyer distinguished professor of history at Washington State University. His latest book, which will be released later this September, is Double Crossed: The Missionaries who Spied for the United States in the Second World War (Basic 2019). He is also the author of a number of other excellent books including American Apocalypse: A History of Modern Evangelicalism (Harvard 2014), Jerry Falwell and the Rise of the Religious Right: A Brief History with Documents (MacMillan 2013), Aimee Semple McPherson and the Resurrection of Christian America (Harvard 2009). You can follow him on Twitter here.

 

 

Read Matt's work: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Episode Highlights:

Matt's background as a historian of religion

Making each project a bit more ambitious as a historian

Using biographical sketches for missionary history

William Eddy, Christianity, and Military service

Working with the United States government to win World War II

Missionary spies as advocates for the local populations

Deception and double-dealing, espionage

Recently declassified information as sources

Challenging historians of foreign policy to consider religion more seriously

William Donovan, John Birch, Stephen Penrose, Stewart Herman

Morality and trust in spying

Double-Crossed review on Christianity Today (written by Andrew Preston)

Suggestion: 

Matt: Use history as a way to think about ethical questions, history can give us an opportunity to challenge ourselves with questions of ethics.

https://youtu.be/uXsbU8ADP4A

 

Banner Photo:The U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt meets with King Ibn Saud, of Saudi Arabia, on board the U.S. Navy heavy cruiser USS Quincy (CA-71) in the Great Bitter Lake, Egypt, on 14 February 1945. The King is speaking to the interpreter (missionary OSS), Colonel William A. Eddy, USMC.