academia HUMANITIES AND FINE ARTS That Old Time Religion was Hot During much of the 1800s, wave after wave of new religious movements spread across Central and Western New York, earning it the title The Burned Over District. “The physical features of the Burned Over District, combined with many transformations engineered by man—roads, canals, villages, waterpowered mills—made it the perfect geographical petrie dish in which to start and grow new religious movements at a fantastic pace,” said Mike McKenzie, associate professor of philosophy and religion. “It was almost like the Haight-Asbury District in San Francisco in the 1960s. Young people moved in to a new area where anything was possible and a bunch of ideas caught
hold. The ideas for new religions just came barreling in.” For example, the region became the birthplace of what is now the world’s fastest-growing religion— Mormonism—in 1820 when 14-year-old Joseph Smith claimed God appeared to him in what is now the Sacred Grove about 5 miles from Palmyra. Jemima Wilkinson, an evangelist and one of the first American-born women to found a religious movement, eventually settled in what is now the Town of Jerusalem, not far from the present day Keuka College campus, in Yates County. And while Methodism wasn’t founded in Western New York, it certainly thrived. “At one time there were an incredible 19 Methodist churches in Yates County,” said McKenzie. The Burned Over District is a terrific topic for McKenzie to explore in his religion classes and now he has a teaching tool to do just that. McKenzie combined his writing and Mike McKenzie narrated the video that took three years to complete.
St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Branchport
research skills with the videography and editing talents of Troy Cusson, instructional design manager in the Wertman Office of Distance Education (WODE), to create a 60minute DVD that takes viewers “on a tour of many of the exact spots where these religions either got their start or caught fire.” The DVD, three years in the making, was narrated by McKenzie who called on three other members of the College community to help with the production: President Jorge L. DíazHerrera (harp music), Professor of Theatre Mark Wenderlich (voice of Native American Chief Red Jacket), and Director of Instructional Design and Multidisciplinary Studies (WODE) John Locke (creative director). “We did a lot of homework to put this together,” said McKenzie, who praised Cusson for his willingness to devote many hours—including weekends—to the project.
Starkey Methodist Church
The DVD doesn’t cover the entire Burned Over District—McKenzie and Cusson traveled throughout Yates County and into Wayne and Seneca counties—but uncovered plenty of material nonetheless. “It’s hard to believe, because Yates County seems so quiet these days,
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