Monk is a comedic drama featuring Adrian Monk (portrayed by Tony Shalhoub), an obsessive-compulsive former homicide detective. Due to the tragic death of his wife, Trudy, Monk has an emotional breakdown, but eventually experiences enough of a breakthrough to work as a consultant for the San Francisco Police Department. Monk has 312 fears, such as milk, ladybugs, and harmonicas.
His skill as a detective, however, is unmatched. Given the importance of critical investigation in the task of examining a biblical text, a helpful exercise is to consider how Mr. Monk’s approach to detective work might influence our approach to studying a select passage of scripture:
1. Keep looking until you find something that clicks.
2. Pay attention to detail.
3. Listen not just for what’s said, but for what’s unsaid.
4. Attend to the seemingly insignificant.
5. Look for discrepancies.
6. Consider both the obvious and the not-so-obvious.
7. Seek to connect the disconnected dots.
8. Ask questions, and then ask more questions.
9. Take your time.
10. Notice patterns.