Neighborhood Liturgy: Mister Rogers and Liturgical Formation

Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood was a unique children’s television show that generations of children, and their care givers, looked forward to everyday. The repeated practices of the show shaped the viewers into a community of practice around shared human concerns. Viewers were welcomed into Mr. Rogers’ te...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Whitlock, Michelle. L. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Published: 2025
In: Liturgy
Year: 2025, Volume: 40, Issue: 2, Pages: 43-50
RelBib Classification:CB Christian life; spirituality
KAJ Church history 1914-; recent history
RC Liturgy
ZB Sociology
ZG Media studies; Digital media; Communication studies
Further subjects:B Mister Rogers
B Worship
B Neighbor
B Practice
B Liturgy
B Formation
B Community
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood was a unique children’s television show that generations of children, and their care givers, looked forward to everyday. The repeated practices of the show shaped the viewers into a community of practice around shared human concerns. Viewers were welcomed into Mr. Rogers’ television home to learn about real life issues. They traveled with Rogers to the imaginary Land of Make Believe. The show created a “sacred space” for people of all ages to learn and grow through play and imagination. Worship also functions as a community of practice. According to Etienne Wenger, communities of practice shape identity through the practices of an ongoing community. They create meaning through shared rituals and narratives. This article applies Etienne Wenger’s understanding of communities of practice to the virtual community created by Fred Rogers and draws on this work to suggest neighborhood practices for intergenerational worship.
ISSN:1557-3001
Contains:Enthalten in: Liturgy
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1080/0458063X.2025.2484987