The Case for Case Studies

4 / The Case for Case Studies

emerge in the midst of our life circumstances. The method of engaging Contact stories and Case Studies in Capstone flows from the ancient rabbinic method of discerning wisdom through connecting the biblical truth to the facts of particular cases, in the light of the shared wisdom of tradition. It is a sound, helpful approach to discover truth together in a learning cohort. What Exactly Is a Case Study? A Biblical Example In the context of the Capstone lesson, what exactly is a case? A case is a life application story that is either posed or described in the Contact or Case Study section of the material. It is based on biblical examples which reveal the ancient practice of careful observation of situations, and the corresponding act of making generalizations and dis- covering principles after you have observed and analyzed a particular situation.

A clear biblical example of this practice is given in Proverbs 24.30-34 (ESV):

I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, [31] and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. [32] Then I saw and con- sidered it; I looked and received instruction. [33] A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, [34] and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.