[chef] Managing user dotfiles under chef -- as files?

[Edward Morbius < >]

We're developing a chef repo, one component of which is managing a
small set of users (admins and engineers) from within chef.

Our current method of deploying various dotfiles and config files
(.vimrc, .screenrc, etc.) serialized within a json file.  Which works.

But it's not particularly amenable to editing those files (we could
unpack and repack them of course).

I've done some searching but don't see an established M.O. for
handling user files _as files_ within Chef.

Is this advisable?
If not, is there a better method for doing so?
Am I barking up the wrong giraffe?

-- 
Dr. Ed Morbius
Chief Scientist / Philologist / Robot Wrangler / Powerplant Operator
Krell Power Systems Unlimited