There was simply an alphabet, no capital letters at all. It only takes a minute to sign up. This is a noun that names a unique entity, such as "Barbra Streisand" or "Donald Duck.". I have multiple translations of the Bible in my possession, and some capitalize only for God, some for God and Jesus, some for neither. Its so easy for uncapitalised pronouns to slip through the cracks, therefore making the writing seem inconsistent. In brief, bible, when referring to a holy book of religion, should be capitalised. Several respondents based their answers based on the practice in their Bibles which were equally inconsistent (for those who are interested, compare the New International Version with the New American Standard Bible). Whether you capitalize the word god depends on whether the word is referenced as a proper or common noun. It is a matter of personal conviction, preference, and context. 5 Why do we need to capitalize the word God? The only alternative would be to quote from NASB or NKJV, both of which capitalize pronouns of deity, but neither of which is my preference for purposes of clarity. The Chicago Manual of Style, The Society of Biblical Literature, and Associated Press style guides, state that he, him, his, and so on shouldn't be capitalized even when referring to God. If you capitalize pronouns that refer to God to show reverence for His name, fantastic! DarkScribe ( 15500) "Great Answer" ( 5 ) Flag as . The Kingdom awaits! He's going to have a talk with his father.). To mock another especially for a typo is very immature and childish. Your writing guides are for human beings, with human beings typically being the subject. The primary purpose of case is to aid the reader, so different languages have different conventions. In fact, these pronouns are never capitalized in the source documents. Your email address will not be published. So if you (or your client) wants to capitalize He and Him, You and Your, then they can. Other references or alternative names of God are also capitalized. The capitalizing on God needs to stop..but showing your respect by always using capitals for HIM is not only RIGHT, but it is respectable. This group happened to be a Christian reader group, but its a question that seemingly flummoxes readers and writers alike. A proper noun names a specific noun. Religions and religious movements (e.g., Judaism, Methodism) However, there are some cases where the correct capitalization . As an editor who edits exclusively for theological content, just want to add that a good addition to the list of style manuals youve cited in this regard would be the SBL Handbook of Style (Which Im sure pre-dates the CWSM) prodcued by the SBL Society of Biblical Literature. Do I Hire an Editor before Submitting to an Agent or Publisher? That means the capital "G" is a must. Religious references, please capitalize God, Jesus, Lord, Father, Holy Spirit, Savior, Heaven, Hell, Bible and the Word (as in the Word of God) and all pronouns referring to God including Him and His. Surely there is an answer. I also like this answer fromGot Questions: Many people struggle with this question. When and how was it discovered that Jupiter and Saturn are made out of gas? If you're labeling a relative, don't capitalize. Some, believing it shows reverence for God, capitalize all pronouns that refer to God. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! In English, personal nouns are capitalized and pronouns are not. So, its a forced reaction. I don't do that for anyone else. I do think there are more important things to discuss. Spirituality and spiritual growth authors tend to capitalize any word that to them represents a higher concept or God: Universe, Gratitude, Divine Love, Universal Mind, Consciousness. Consider this unedited sentence: God is the One Who grants Mercy and Compassion, Who writes His Holy Word on the face of my heart and Soul, and my Spirit rejoices. In that context, {g|G}od. Yes. I agree, but its the publishers choice. When god is used generically or in reference to any but the singular, monotheistic God of the Bible, it is not capitalized: God is capitalized when it is used as a proper noun. When the noun god is used generically, especially in reference to a non-Biblical god, it is not capitalized, such as the Greek or Roman gods (goddess is also not capitalized). This intends no disrespect to God;it is the usage of the historic English Bibles: Wyclif (1380), Tyndale (1534), Cranmer (1539), Geneva (1557), Rheims (1582), and King James Version of KJV (1611). I intend to continue to do so for now. Should godly be capitalized? In most faith-based literature youll find that nouns and pronouns are almost always capitalized. Capitalization of pronouns is a convention of language and not intrinsically a sign of honor or respect or divinity. The rules for capitalizing the titles of family members are simple. But they also allow for author (or publisher) preference. Of course, I would never agree to Christ or God not being capitalized. One of the most common questions people ask about religious words is whether to capitalize the word god. The name or title of any specific deity is capitalized just like any other name, so when God is used to refer to the one God (in other words, in any monotheistic religion), it is capitalized. Thank you for this post on an often repeated question especially within Christian publishing and writing circles. Just like to give respect or not give respect, to choose life or death. Yes, the major style guides prefer that personal pronouns referring to God are not capitalized. Updated on September 30, 2022 Grammar. Thats probably a question for Grammar Girl. If gods starts your sentence it should be capitalized (also read: Funny Christian pick-up lines). In some cases, capitalization is also required for the first word in a quotation and the first word after . This rule of thumb applies fairly broadly in Christian publishing. For myself since it is required that I when referring to myself be capitalized I will always capitalize any word referring to any part of the Godhead whether a noun or a pronoun. May 09, 2019 18:06. Names of God. "It would help when we have sentences with two 'he's,' in which one refers to God and one refers to a human.". To be sure, there will continue to be many opportunities to use the word in lowercase form. The NASB and NKJV do capitalize pronouns relating to deity (introducing something which is not in the Greek or Hebrew, I might add). Believers also capitalize . I also review Christian novels at www.christianreads.blogspot.com. Since this isnt in scripture, you shouldnt take or add from THE BOOK, but use other scripts as given by God. Capitalize formal names of Bible sections: Old Testament, New Testament, the Pentateuch, the Torah. You probably know you should capitalize proper nouns and the first word of every sentence. are also capitalized. He went on to say that He is Lord God Almighty, which means He is the one all-powerful God. Because the Bible is the name of a book i.e. Its the generous support of our ministry partners that enables us to continue our eternity-shaping work. Dear Editor: Should we Capitalize Pronouns Referring to God or Jesus? How does a fan in a turbofan engine suck air in? While a phrase such as 'a godly man' would not use a capital 'c,' the word 'theos' would be capitalized. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Dim memories. . Jesus was quoting Asaph, who arguably was speaking on Gods behalf, in the 82nd Psalm, gods, here, is obviously plural. [closed], from your pastor, priest, or other trustworthy counselor, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. My concern would be in two areas: intent and effect. Capitalise names, don't capitalise nouns. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. In Greek, there were capital (upper-case) letters and lower-case letters. in my books with other publishers, I've gone with their policy. Thanks for the catch! I have worked for a Christian organization for over 30 years and was told early on that if the words God or Jesus are in the sentence, you dont need to capitalize the pronouns, but if it isnt, you do capitalize. Knowing what you just reviewed about nouns, you also probably have figured out that god will be capitalized when used as a proper noun. I was also taught that God is a proper name, as are Jesus, Christ, and Holy Spirit. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have . You will find that at times, especially when you are likening other books to the Bible, you do not capitalize the word bible. Ive been asked by readers over the years, Why dont you capitalize the pronouns referring to God in your books?. There are so many words to represent God. Harry says: April 30, 2011 at 8:42 pm. But where it's not possible, i.e. How can I change a sentence based upon input to a command? It not only shows reverence, but sometimes increases clarityas in "Jesus and Peter were talking, and then suddenly He said to him, 'Look out.'". Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. In phrases like for Gods sake, by God, and thank God, the word is capitalized because it generally refers to God of the Bible and treats the word as a name. Do we capitalize the the in the Bible? . Its always changing, and thats why applying old rules to contemporary writing sometimes just doesnt resonate. Its also shorter and easier to read than CMOS! Altho I usually wont mention it to them. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. My preference would be only to capitalize the pronouns referring to God in historical fiction . Why do you sometimes see god capitalized in some references but written in lowercase in others? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Language is dynamic, not static. Helpful. I personally like to use it but I dont get huffy to those who do not. Continue doing so. The Facebook groups answers unhelpfully ranged from Yes, always to No, never with a healthy sprinkling of Sometimes and It depends. Continue following your conviction. T he first word of a sentence is always capitalized. Why do we need to capitalize the word God? Letter case is a relatively modern innovation, so we can't go by the original languages. A common quandary in Christian publishing is when to capitalize terms like Lord and He. So if discussing the Bible, you will capitalise the word God. Why are there so many Bible translations, and which is the best? Other forms referring to the one religious God also must be capitalized, such as Allah, Father, or Jehovah. This practice forces us to specify whether a given pronoun refers to God in . To first recognize when to capitalize the word god, students of the language first need to know the basics of capitalization. The old practice of capitalizing pronouns of deity has been done in very few Bible translations historically, and was abandoned by most Christian publishers years ago. Common questions are when is God capitalized and should godly be capitalized? 'god' when talking about the word as a noun. I'm the same as you, I feel it's a mark of honor. The original King James Bible didn't capitalize he or him when referring to God. Im probably not going to capitalize. Names of all races and nationalities. Bible sections. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. That may well the case, but the rule shouldnt hold true for all historical fiction. I do find those who call my Lord with a small g a bit offensive. Equally, its not hard to change He and Him to he and him (except where they occur at the beginning of a sentence). Since at least one characters faith position flips during each of my novels, you can follow their changing faith by whether a pronoun is capitalized or not. Geoblocking on Amazon: 13 Reasons Why I Dont Want to Switch from Amazon.com to Amazon Australia, Five Reasons to Enter a Writing Contest (and Five Contests to Enter). You likely know that all sentences begin with a capital letter. I never would have stopped doing it in my books if my publishers hadnt changed their policy. Capitalization Rules in English | Quick Guide & Examples. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? All opinions are my own. Of course, I would never agree to Christ or God not being capitalized. With degrees in science, English, and literacy, she has worked to create cross-curricular materials to bridge learning gaps and help students focus on effective writing and speech techniques. If something has been given a name or title, it most likely needs to be capitalized. These are descriptive words and not direct words for God. (Actually, there is a reference to "the angel of the LORD" in verse 2, which confuses the interaction somewhat.) Our creator, God, will bless our community. Your email address will not be published. 1991 - 2023 Eternal Perspective MinistriesAll Rights Reserved. . Aren't we Blessed to have a God that loves us and loves us to talk about Him? Ive wondered about this. Words that describe God's attributes should be capitalized. For example, office supplies are expected to be consumed in the near future, so they are charged to expense at once. Each of us must follow his/her own conviction and each of us should refrain from judging those who take a different viewpoint. Now youre aware of when to capitalize God. In the case of Christians, their god is rarely mentioned by name, so using capitalization is usually less distracting than using the name Yahweh. Join me in creating stronger families in faith. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! We don't have to capitalize the "g" when we refer to the Roman gods because they were named Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, etc. Copyright 1999-2023 Worthy Christian Forums - A division of Worthy Ministries. Also, its a symbolic respect in reference to God widely accepted. The purpose is to respect the name of God and avoid writing it (the name is sacred and if its not written it cannot be destructed by man later). Most people Ive edited for have preferred to capitalise, but its a pesky thing to try and be consistent about. Altho I usually wont mention it to them. When God inspired the human authors of Scripture to write His Word, He did not lead them to give any special attention to pronouns that refer to Him. If Gods Word is daily at home in your heart and mind, your writing will take on a perspective, and an air of solidity and permanence it wont have otherwise. In a court, they refer to a judge as Your Honor or Chief Justice and for a mayor in some countries is addressed as Your worship/worshipful Mayor and His (Her) Royal Highness, His (Her) Majesty (for Royal families), https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/awards-tributes/forms-of-address/. this other does. well most of the time. If Holy precedes the Bible (Holy Bible), it is also capitalized.. So one might refer to either "the Greek god of war" or "the Hebrew God". CWMS points out that (despite popular belief) we dont capitalize as a way to show respect or honour. I picked up the habit years ago of capitalizing "Him" and "His" when referring to any person of the Trinity. shawmino 6 yr. ago. My preference would be only to capitalize the pronouns referring to God in historical fiction where capitalization was consistent with the time setting (e.g. Even many religious publishers have given up the practi. When it comes to Jesus, it probably doesn't pay to overthink it. Most publishers have a style guide: a set of rules governing how they treat a range of editing questions including spelling, grammar, punctuation, and word usage. For example, the group of people, the classroom, or the girl are all common nouns. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Remember, if a word refers to God, it must be capitalized! We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. I second Jady's remarks. Obviously, they would not bother capitalizing "he" at all. rev2023.3.1.43269. 2 What does the Bible say about capitalization? 4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, Moses, Moses! And he said, Here I am. 5 Then He said, Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. 6 He said also, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. The Holy Bible is a proper title of a book and the word bible in this case must always be capitalized. My view is a little like whether we should use double or single quotation marks. One example of such a word is god, which is usually capitalized when referring to a (or rather, the) monotheistic God. This is out of respect for God. Id prefer we keep grammar simple and let it be one rule for all to remain in consistency with its original intent. The Muslim name Allah is a translation of the name God. 10 capitalization rules everyone should know Capitalize the first word in a sentence. The Christian Writers Manual of Style says (p145): Thats another vote for telling us what people do. Required fields are marked *, By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. The traveler's bible). God is capitalized when it is used as a proper noun.
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