In Performance, Cognitive Theory, and Devotional Culture, Jill Stevenson
uses cognitive theory to explore the layperson s physical encounter with
live religious performances, and to argue that laypeople s interactions
with other devotional media - such as books and art objects - may also
have functioned like performance events. By revealing the remarkable
resonance between cognitive science and medieval visual theories,
Stevenson demonstrates how understanding medieval culture can enrich the
study of performance generally. She concludes by applying her theories
of medieval performance culture to contemporary religious forms,
including creationist museums, Hell Houses, and megachurches.