The Case for Case Studies

I F YOU have ever taught or sat in a Capstone class, you have noticed the presence of “Contact” stories or the “Case Studies” sections of the lesson. These are ubiquitous (everywhere present) in Capstone; more than 450 cases are offered at the beginning or end of the lessons, positioned to either introduce the lesson or to dig into the meaning of the lesson’s content, at the end. They are numerous in number and thorny in character. Many suggest that they never seem to allow for a clear, simple resolvable answer to the problems they pose. Why include Contact stories and Case Studies in the lessons, in the first place? While it may not be immediately obvious, the answer to this question is important. Case Studies are life application stories which highlight the importance of connecting truth that is researched with life that is lived. These stories, whether invented or actual, allow the learners to explore the relationship between the truths they discovered in their Bible study, and the tough, difficult decisions which

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