week-author

Author a complete course week: $ARGUMENTS

$ARGUMENTS should include: course slug and week number (e.g., forgotten-ways 3). Optionally: specific sections to draft if not the full week. If incomplete, ask the user.

---

Phase 0 — Load the Authoring System

Read these files in order. Do NOT begin writing until all are loaded.

1. courses/COURSE_STRATEGY.md — canonical structure, section order, word counts, Week 1/8 variants
2. courses/ALAN_HIRSCH_VOICE_PROMPTING_MASTER_GUIDE.md — full voice system (five markers, failure modes, antithesis prohibition, argument patterns, signature elements, rhetorical posture)
3. courses/CONTENT_QUALITY_GUIDE.md — checklist (Part 1), scoring rubric (Part 2), and craft guide (Part 3) — use the checklist during authoring and the rubric during self-audit
4. research/core-content/voice-style-reference/style-patterns.md — concept introduction, example usage, transition, conclusion, technical term, and narrative structure patterns
5. .claude/skills/alan-voice/SKILL.md — voice skill reference (markers table, failure modes checklist, argument patterns)
6. .claude/skills/course-author/SKILL.md — section specs, transformation loop reference, and chat section format requirements

---

Phase 1 — Resolve the Week's Corpus and Prompt

1a. Read the Trello prompt card (if available)

The week prompt cards are generated by scripts/tfw_alan_voice_week_prompts.py. Read the relevant function in that file for the week's:

• Outcomes (from course-manifest.json)
• Assets to draft
• Primary TFW chapters (corpus paths)
• Handbook chapters (corpus paths)
• Additional corpus (reJesus, 5Q, research, etc.)
• Shared sources (pathways, articles, research, planning docs)

1b. Read all primary corpus files

Read every corpus file listed for this week. These are the theological source material — all teaching must be grounded in what Alan actually wrote.

For Week 3 specifically:

• corpus/alan_hirsch/the-forgotten-ways/the-forgotten-ways-ch04-the-heart-of-it-all-jesus-is-lord.md (PRIMARY)
• corpus/alan_hirsch/the-forgotten-ways-handbook/the-forgotten-ways-handbook-ch02-the-heart-of-it-all.md
• corpus/alan_hirsch/the-forgotten-ways-handbook/the-forgotten-ways-handbook-ch03-disciple-making.md
• corpus/alan_hirsch/rejesus/rejesus-ch05-the-shema-schema.md
• corpus/alan_hirsch/rejesus/rejesus-ch04-ive-got-a-picture-of-jesus.md
• corpus/alan_hirsch/rejesus/rejesus-ch07-the-church-that-jesus-built.md (select sections)

1c. Read existing course content for context

Check what already exists in:

• courses/courses/[slug]/ — course manifest, existing modules
• courses/forgotten-ways-course-content/ — any drafted modules
• courses/forgotten-ways-content-creation/ — any section-level drafts

Understand what came before this week (prior weeks' themes, arc position) and what comes after.

1d. Read the Trello authoring decisions

The Trello list "SSoT — Authoring & prompts (decisions)" contains doctrinal guardrails. Key cards:

• North star: engineer transformation, not "adapt the book"
• Content must earn its place (serve dissonance / action / cohort)
• Hold productive tension in teaching (don't close the loop in prose)
• Weeks 2-7 corpus map
• Weekly time & word budget

---

Phase 2 — Plan the Week Before Writing

Before drafting any content, produce a brief week plan (do not output to the user yet — this is internal):

1. This week's position in the arc: What came before (prior week's theme, where the learner is emotionally/theologically), what this week must accomplish, what comes next
2. Core tension: The productive dissonance this week creates — what assumption does it unsettle?
3. Core concept: The theological reality this week recovers or awakens (not a topic to cover)
4. Christocentric anchor: How Jesus / Lord / Kingdom / Gospel is the spine of this week
5. Action domain: What concrete life-domain the action step enters
6. Cohort conversation target: What the group session needs to surface
7. Argument pattern: Which of the three patterns (A, B, or C) best serves the teaching — or a combination

---

Phase 3 — Draft All Sections (Transformation Loop Order)

Draft each section in the canonical order below. For Weeks 2-7, this is:

Section 1: Opening Video Script (video)

• Word count: 600-900 words (~5 min at ~145 wpm)
• Structure: Hook → concept → grounding → learner implication → closing question
• Voice: Conversational, direct, first-person. Alan to camera.
• Rules: This is NOT a lecture. NOT a summary of the reading. The video frames; the reading unpacks. End with a question that creates anticipation.
• Argument pattern: Usually Pattern B (Story → Tension → Scripture → Resolution → Application) or a compressed Pattern A

Section 2: Dissonance Prompt (chat_dissonance)

• Word count: 200-350 words
• Structure: Tension statement (2-3 sentences) + question (1-2 sentences)
• Voice: Feels like Alan asking a hard question across a table. Intimate, unsettling, warm.
• Rules: Do NOT resolve the tension. Do NOT welcome or orient. This is a productive disruption that opens the learner before they encounter the teaching.

Section 3: Main Teaching (reading)

• Word count: 2,000-3,500 words
• Structure: Opening hook → framework presentation → scriptural grounding → implications → application preview
• Substructure: 2-3 subheadings. 1-2 blockquotes from Alan's books or Scripture.
• Voice: Full Alan Hirsch — all five markers at full strength. This is the theological and pedagogical core of the week.
• Rules: Must advance the course's overarching narrative. Every paragraph earns its place by feeding dissonance, action, or cohort. Hold productive tension — do not close the loop in prose. Leave room for AI companion, field practice, and cohort.
• Argument pattern: Choose from Pattern A, B, or C based on the week plan. Patterns can nest.

Section 3a: Scripture Element (scripture) — Week 3 only

• Word count: 300-500 words
• Structure: Scripture passage + theological unpacking + connection to the week's concept
• Rules: Week 3 includes this because "Jesus Is Lord" demands the scriptural weight of the Shema. Scripture is woven into argument, not proof-texted. This section sits between the main teaching and the case study.

Section 4: Case Study / Witness (case_study)

• Word count: 300-600 words
• Structure: Setup → story → connection to concept → implication
• Voice: Narrative, concrete, specific. Not a summary of the teaching — a story that shows the concept at work.
• Source preference: Early church, Chinese underground church, Celtic movement, SMRC, Alan's ministry stories. Must be grounded in known historical examples from the corpus.

Section 5: Action Step Prompt (chat_action)

• Word count: 150-250 words
• Voice: AI companion prompt. Warm, direct, concrete.
• Rules: One step. Time-boxed (this week). Named to someone (who will they tell or do this with?). Not a to-do list — a formation step.

Section 6: Reflection Prompt (chat_reflection)

• Word count: 150-250 words
• Voice: AI companion prompt. Contemplative, honest, gentle.
• Rules: After the learner has acted. What happened? What got in the way? What do they want to carry forward? Gospel light on failure — grace, not guilt.

Section 7: Cohort Meeting (discussion)

• Word count: 200-400 words
• Structure: Theme + opening question + 2-3 key discussion questions + closing practice
• Voice: Facilitator guide. Clear, warm, structured.
• Rules: Must create genuine shared risk. Not a book club discussion — a formation conversation.

Section 8: Exit Ticket (reflection)

• Word count: 150-250 words
• Structure: Three response options (cognitive takeaway, emotional response, commitment) + brief preview of next week
• Voice: Brief, invitational, forward-looking.

---

Phase 4 — Voice Audit (Mandatory Before Delivery)

After drafting all sections, run a self-audit on every section. Check:

Five Voice Markers

Marker	Weight	Min	Check
Christocentric Anchoring	30%	≥0.7	2-3 Jesus/Christ/Kingdom/Gospel references per substantial section
Pastoral Warmth	20%	≥0.5	We/you/I balance (~45/35/20); relational, invitational
Narrative Imagery	15%	≥0.6	~8.5 metaphors per 1000 words; movement/DNA, organic, journey
Theological Depth	10%	≥0.7	Scripture woven; historical examples; frameworks named
Prophetic Intensity	25%	0.5-0.8	Questions, urgency, challenge — balanced with warmth

Failure Mode Scan

• No corporate consultant language ("leverage," "optimize," "scalable," "best practices")
• No detached academic voice ("research suggests," "implications indicate")
• No antithesis patterns ("not X, but Y" / "rather than X" / "instead of X")
• No rushing to practice before theological grounding
• No homiletical mode / stacked proof-texts
• No generic motivational language
• Christocentric anchor present in every section (automatic failure if missing)
• First-person narrative present where appropriate

Structural Checks

• All sections present in correct order
• Word counts within targets
• Dissonance actually creates tension (not a welcome message)
• Teaching advances the course narrative (not just covers a topic)
• Case study shows concept at work (not summarizes the teaching)
• Action step is concrete, time-boxed, and doable in 7 days
• Reflection looks backward at action taken
• Cohort meeting creates genuine shared risk
• Exit ticket offers three response types + next week preview

Formation Loop Integrity

• Each section serves its role in the loop — dissonance unsettles, teaching grounds, witness shows, action moves, reflection integrates, cohort holds, exit sends forward
• Productive tension is maintained — the teaching does not resolve everything; room remains for AI companion, field practice, and cohort
• The Christocentric spine is visible across all sections

If any marker falls below minimum or any failure mode is detected, revise before delivering.

---

Phase 5 — Output Format

Output the complete week as a single markdown document with clear section headers. Use this format:

# Week [N]: [Title]
**Course:** [Course Name]
**Position in arc:** [What came before → this week → what comes next]
**Core tension:** [One sentence]
**Christocentric anchor:** [One sentence]

---

## 1. Opening Video Script
**Type:** `video` | **Target:** 600-900 words | **Actual:** [count]

[content]

---

## 2. Dissonance
**Type:** `chat_dissonance` | **Target:** 200-350 words | **Actual:** [count]

[content]

---

## 3. Main Teaching
**Type:** `reading` | **Target:** 2,000-3,500 words | **Actual:** [count]

[content]

---

[...continue for all sections]

---

## Voice Audit Summary

| Marker | Score | Notes |
|--------|-------|-------|
| Christocentric Anchoring | [score] | [notes] |
| Pastoral Warmth | [score] | [notes] |
| Narrative Imagery | [score] | [notes] |
| Theological Depth | [score] | [notes] |
| Prophetic Intensity | [score] | [notes] |
| **Overall Coherence** | [score] | |

**Failure modes detected:** [none / list]
**Word count total:** [sum] (target: 6,000-8,000)

---

After Delivery

Suggest the output file path following the repository convention:

• Full module: courses/forgotten-ways-course-content/module-[NN]/week-[N]-[slug].md
• Or section-level: courses/forgotten-ways-content-creation/[section-type]/week-[N]-[slug].md

Ask the user whether to write the file or if they want to review and revise first.