deep-reading

name	deep-reading
description	Telescope into a specific scripture passage or narrow topic. Follow every footnote, trace every cross-reference, read full chapters for context. Produces intermediate findings in a working document. Use for focused, depth-first study on a single text or concept.
argument-hint	[scripture passage or narrow topic]

Deep Reading

Purpose

Deep reading is the telescope — focused on one passage, one chapter, one concept. You go deep before going wide. This skill produces the kind of study where you read Moses 4 and end up in Revelation 12 because the footnotes took you there.

This contrasts with the wide-search skill, which casts a broad net across the library. Both are valuable. Deep reading comes first in a phased study.

When to Use

• Starting a new phased study (the first sprint)
• The user says "let's dig into [specific passage]"
• Following up on a connection discovered in a previous study
• Any time depth matters more than breadth

Method

Step 1: Read the Primary Text in Full

Don't search for it — Read the entire chapter. Read the verses before and after. Get the flow.

Step 2: Follow Every Footnote

Scripture markdown files contain superscript footnote markers and a footnote section at the bottom of the chapter. For each footnote on the target passage:

1. Note what the footnote points to
2. Read the cross-referenced passage
3. Ask: does this cross-reference add, clarify, or reframe the primary text?

Step 3: Webster 1828 on Key Words

Use the webster-analysis skill for any word that might carry Restoration-era meaning different from modern usage. Don't guess — look it up.

Step 4: Keep Intermediate Findings

For phased studies, maintain a working document at study/{topic}/notes.md (or similar) that tracks:

## Intermediate Findings

### From [source passage]
- Key quotes (with links)
- Footnote chains followed
- Webster insights
- Questions raised for the next phase

### Threads to Pull (for wide-search phase)
- [Concept or phrase that deserves semantic search]
- [Connection to explore across library]
- [Conference talk topic to look for]

This document is NOT the final study — it's the workbench. The final study gets written after all phases are complete.

Step 5: Note What You Don't Know Yet

Deep reading always surfaces questions that require broader search. Note these explicitly for the wide-search phase. Don't try to answer everything in one pass.

What Makes Deep Reading Different from Regular Study

Regular One-Shot Study	Deep Reading Phase
Discovery + Reading + Writing in one session	Reading only — writing comes later
Searches broadly then reads selectively	Reads exhaustively in a narrow area
Produces a finished document	Produces intermediate findings
Self-contained	Part of a larger phased plan

Integration with Phased Studies

In a phased study plan (see study-plan command):

1. Deep reading usually comes first — one or two focused sessions on core texts
2. Wide search follows — broadening out with semantic search, conference talks, cross-volume connections
3. Synthesis pulls it all together into the final study document(s)
4. Becoming closes with personal application

Deep reading feeds wide search with specific threads to pull. Wide search feeds synthesis with breadth and connections. The plan coordinates them.