About the Film:According to The Pew Forum, the past 40 years have seen a dramatic and steady weakening of Americans’ ties to organized religion. How are America’s religious spaces adapting and what are the implications for our local communities? In God’s House explores the sacred spaces of the rustbelt city of Utica, New York, once a thriving port on the Erie Canal and now a key refugee relocation center. In the midst of changing demographics, the buildings of bygone eras continue to be adapted by the current users that embody them. This 50-minute documentary examines how religious groups have and have not changed, and reveals a resiliency across religious communities and a surprising flexibility with regard to the nature of each group’s notion of “sacred” space. Christians, Muslims, Jews, and Buddhists have worked with each other in the transformation of spaces, and this ability to adapt in the face of significant adversity ties together these diverse groups, and seems to stand as a hallmark essential for their survival.Robert Knight is Associate Professor of Art at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY.S. Brent Plate is Professor of Religious Studies by Special Appointment at Hamilton College.
Recent & Upcoming Screenings:Mohawk Valley Community College, Utica, NY - October 20, 2015VIVA International Film Festival, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovnia - May 28-31, 2015Munson Williams Proctor Art Museum, Utica, NY - May 10, 2015American Society of Church History, Minneapolis, MN - April, 2015American Association of Religion National Conference, San Diego, CA - November 2014
In God's House is available for screening at your institution or venue. To request a screening, please email Robert Knight at rbknight(at)hamilton.edu or Brent Plate at splate(at)hamilton.edu
Get Involved!Know of a community that we should be working with?We are actively looking for diverse religious communities addressing the complex challenges of space re-utilization and we would welcome the opportunity to speak to you. Please email Robert Knight at rbknight(at)hamilton.edu or Brent Plate at splate(at)hamilton.edu