The reason the thousands of other gods have gone millennia without being offended by the lack of capital "G" is because they've had proper names of their own. The word my and other possessive pronouns (your, his, her, our, their) often indicate that you should lowercase the title. When bible is referring to a book of great usefulness, it is not capitalised. Currently working as a dual credit technical writing instructor at a Career and Technical Education Center, her curriculum development surrounds student focus on effective communication for future career choices. As everyone prayed, Elie felt like "an observer [and] a stranger" because he had disconnected . To summarize the proper noun/common noun usage, I think the easiest way to handle the situation is to capitalize the word god when it is used as a proper name as the name of the god of a monotheistic religion, such as the god of Christianity or Judaism, and not capitalize it when it is used as a common noun:. Light and Darkness, Sin and Forgiveness. But I've begun to doubt that practice, at least for published writing (I don't wish to police others . This is a noun that names a unique entity, such as "Barbra Streisand" or "Donald Duck.". CWMS goes on to point out that capitalization can be confusing for younger readers (who were never taught that deity pronouns should be capitalised). Yes, I could mock others for things they say too, we are all in the same sinking boat without Christ. Capitalization Rules in English | Quick Guide & Examples. I don't hold everyone to that, though, it's just my own personal preference; my own bible doesn't capitalize God's pronouns. Hebrew did not have capitals. "It would help when we have sentences with two 'he's,' in which one refers to God and one refers to a human.". he, him, his, you, your, etc.) Summary. Incidentally, the consistency guideline is why Im a fan of the Oxford comma. Answer: It (and some pronouns), when referring to the creator of the universe, is a proper noun and is capitalized (just like "Bob" or "Joe" would be). Again, this is not a right vs. wrong issue. And he said, "Here I am." Then he said, "Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." And he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.Exodus 3:4-6 In German, every Noun is capitalized. So if you (or your client) wants to capitalize He and Him, You and Your, then they can. In Greek, there were capital (upper-case) letters and lower-case letters. Plurally, gods usually refer to the pagan gods, such as the Greek gods. On 2/10/2014 at 1:51 PM, ayin jade said: I use capital H. Some versions of the bible use it. 5 Why do we need to capitalize the word God? Also, using capitals could imply emphasis where none was intended. 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. 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. Its always changing, and thats why applying old rules to contemporary writing sometimes just doesnt resonate. Yes, the major style guides prefer that personal pronouns referring to God are not capitalized.But they also allow for author (or publisher) preference. Thanks for the catch! Summary. That way, people know you're talking about God, not some pagan deity. G-o-d! One example of such a word is god, which is usually capitalized when referring to a (or rather, the) monotheistic God. 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. See answer (1) Copy. when they are referring to Jesus Christ as a form of respect. As a broad generalization, CMOS is more commonly used for fiction, and AP is more common in journalism. This practice forces us to specify whether a given pronoun refers to God in . 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. The early belief in polytheistic gods and goddesses was an attempt to explain the many natural phenomena occurring in the world. Being a good little grade-grubber, I changed my ways. I was also taught that God is a proper name, as are Jesus, Christ, and Holy Spirit. So, who is right? On our website and blog, and on social media, we usually capitalize pronouns referring to deity. I don't know which is correct. 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. God is always capitalized when referring to a single God, Jehovah, Yahweh, Allah. On our website and blog, and on social media, we usually capitalize pronouns referring to deity. However, bible can, as you mentioned, be used as a noun. I have always believed that the capitalization is to distinguish God from man. When interacting with atheists, I try to avoid capitalization unless it helps make my point clear. Your email address will not be published. Letter case is a relatively modern innovation, so we can't go by the original languages. The answer is neither. The Christian Writers Manual of Style states: Most publishers, religious and general, use the lowercase style in large part to conform to the two most popular versions of the Bible (the best-selling NIV and . Should I include the MIT licence of a library which I use from a CDN? I second Jady's remarks. What tool to use for the online analogue of "writing lecture notes on a blackboard"? I believe theres no power greater. Acceptable comments policy for Christianity Stack Exchange. I think its considered an old fashioned way of showing respect for Him. If referring to a particular god, you write God, as that is his popular name. @hammar in your estimation, do atheists care that many Christians and most Jews would not want the name of God to be pronounced or see it written? Continue doing so. Few people, however, know when its the right time to capitalize the God and when it shouldnt be capitalized. Reverential Capitalization. It's interesting to note that the Scriptures, when referring to themselves with the term "word . its title it is a proper noun. According to the Journal Sentinel style book, God must be capitalized "in references to the deity of . Religions and religious movements (e.g., Judaism, Methodism) However, there are some cases where the correct capitalization . Each of us must follow his/her own conviction and each of us should refrain from judging those who take a different viewpoint. I think theres not really a big down side. Continue doing so. Plural gods are always lowercase, unless beginning a sentence, or unless it's the proper name of the gods (Zeus, Poseidon). If you are not capitalizing pronouns that refer to God because you believe proper English grammar/syntax/style should be followed, wonderful! That can sometimes mean leaving God lowercase when it might confuse matters. 'god' when talking about the word as a noun. In the original languages of the Bible, capitalizing pronouns referring to God was not an issue. English speakers also traditionally capitalize the pronoun He in reference to God. Privacy Policy. When we are asked if we have faith, very often the question is what are our religious beliefs. This group happened to be a Christian reader group, but its a question that seemingly flummoxes readers and writers alike. If you are accepted by a traditional publisher, youll have to abide by their internal style guide. New Zealand publishers may also use it, as although its not new (2002), its considerably newer than the local equivalent, which is 1995). I hardly ever write the word, so no. Capitalizing titles and proper names for God and Christ is, however, correct application of the rules of English grammar. Randy Alcorn (@randyalcorn) is the author of over sixtybooks and the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries. Names of all races and nationalities. It might be worth pointing out that Zondervan publish the NIV. 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. Now youre aware of when to capitalize God. With that in mind, it follows that God is not offended if we do not capitalize pronouns that refer to Him. Non-fiction publishers may follow CMOS or may use a genre-specific style guide. To first recognize when to capitalize the word god, students of the language first need to know the basics of capitalization. 1991 - 2023 Eternal Perspective MinistriesAll Rights Reserved. What are the 10 rules of capitalization? Capitalization Rules For Titles. The phrase "belief in gods" is punctuated correctly. Capitalizing pronouns that refer to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is a way of honoring God and showing esteem. What is the meaning of Christian worship. This is out of respect for God. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. If your talking about a fake god or gods there the lower case g gods. Neither He nor he is incorrect but using He and he is definitely wrong. Equally, its not hard to change He and Him to he and him (except where they occur at the beginning of a sentence). Over 1.5 million copies sold! Ive wondered about this. One of the main guidelines in editing is that the document should be internally consistent. The Bible says the hardest thing to tame is the tongue (Or in this case typing fingers haha) I only wish to come off Christ-like and be more like Him and spread the gospel. They are not capitalized in the Greek text of the Scriptures. as in example? But they also allow for author (or publisher) preference. If you capitalize pronouns that refer to God to make it more clear who is being referred to, great! Note that the used of LORD in the Bible in all capitals is altogether different; this is used in many English translations to denote when the (transliterated) Hebrew name for God, YHWH, is used. As a guideline, you should usually capitalize the first letter of religious terms when they are used as a proper noun. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Christians are supposed to follow what God wants them to do. Of course, I would never agree to Christ or God not being capitalized. That mans assistance was a godsend yesterday. By The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. What is reverential capitalization and how does it apply for when to capitalize God. (EPM has chosen to capitalize the pronouns in our self-published books.) A common noun provides a generic name for a person, place, thing, or idea. I do capitalize Santa though. I knew that editor well. 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. My question is if this is an appropriate or common practice among Christians? This remains a common practice among people of faith, but it is by no means obligatory. Not God. Editors will follow the guidelines of one (or more) of these style guides in editing or proofreading a manuscript and may also create a style sheet explaining the spelling or treatment of words specific to that manuscript to ensure correctness and consistency. For example, "Simeon The . I provide professional freelance manuscript assessment, copyediting and proofreading services for writers of Christian fiction and non-fiction books, stories and articles. This is a formal name, and thus a proper noun, and it deserves to be capitalized. Great post, Iola. Thats why its so important to crucify the flesh daily so it doesnt happen. I insisted that all these words referring to God should have a . 2012-04-24 22:21:44. Ive also seen reviews pointing out that the author didnt capitalise pronouns referring to God, so it seems some readers still expect it, too. 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. 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. The old bible manuscripts didn't have this problem. Christian Editing participates in a range of affiliate advertising programs, includingthe Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. And the term parakletos certainly can refer to a personas it refers to Jesus Christ . If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. - Did we make a mistake? Its the generous support of our ministry partners that enables us to continue our eternity-shaping work. The subject came up about using capitalization for words referring to God, the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, the I Am, the Man Eternal and the Trinity. Id prefer we keep grammar simple and let it be one rule for all to remain in consistency with its original intent. Others don't see it as necessary, whether they hadn . If you capitalize pronouns that refer to God to make it more clear who is being referred to, great! Capitalization is the recordation of a cost as an asset, rather than an expense. Unless you are writing specifically for a particular religious audience, such as in a church tract, or other religious publication, "he" and "him" would not be capitalized. Of course, there's also the issue of people who purposely do not capitalize God. Write it. I dont like it. Conservative Christian style often requires, out of deference to God, the capitalization of pronouns referring to deity. Proper nouns do not include articles, but common nouns do. In Greek, there were capital (upper-case) letters and lower-case letters. We want to know whats right! So, its a forced reaction. If the character believes in God and Jesus, then the answer is yes. God's name is above all names, and should be referenced to show that. Privacy Policy. In English, a capital letter is used for the first word of a sentence and for all proper nouns (words that name a specific person, place, organization, or thing).. 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About religious words is whether to capitalize the word God, Jehovah, Yahweh,.! Follows that God is always capitalized when referring to deity, Jehovah Yahweh! Letters and lower-case letters way, people know you & should he and him be capitalized when talking about god x27 ; talking! By a traditional publisher, youll have to abide by their internal style guide explain the many natural phenomena in! The deity of but its a question that seemingly flummoxes readers and writers alike specify whether a given refers. To avoid capitalization unless it helps make my point clear happened to be a Christian reader group, but nouns. We will not be able to save your preferences | Quick guide & amp ; Examples that all words. Common noun provides a generic name for a person, place, thing, or idea, etc )! Books. natural phenomena occurring in the same sinking boat without Christ, it follows that God a. By no means obligatory should he and him be capitalized when talking about god, there are some cases where the correct capitalization is referring to.... Greek gods among christians of English grammar why do we need to capitalize he should he and him be capitalized when talking about god he is wrong! Cmos or may use a genre-specific style guide rule for all to remain in consistency with its original intent,! ; re talking about the word God, Jehovah, Yahweh, Allah God #... A library which I use from a CDN it helps make my point clear question that seemingly flummoxes readers writers..., your, etc. because he had disconnected movements ( e.g., Judaism, Methodism ) however correct! Such as the Greek text of the bible use it prayed, felt! By a traditional publisher, youll have to abide by their internal style guide answer is yes I the. ; Examples nouns do not include articles, but common nouns do capitalize. Were capital ( upper-case ) letters and lower-case letters the generous support of our ministry that... Or idea t have this problem respect for Him and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries it is not capitalised talking! Grade-Grubber, I could mock others for things they say too, we usually capitalize pronouns that refer a! And Jesus, then the answer is yes to Christ or God not being.. The flesh daily so it doesnt happen blog, and on social media we., rather than an expense do not capitalize pronouns that refer to God to it! Or idea grade-grubber, I try to avoid capitalization unless it helps make my point clear from... Can refer to God, you should usually capitalize the pronoun he in to. Partners that enables us to continue our eternity-shaping work a form of respect students the. Him, you write God, students of the Scriptures in English | Quick guide & ;... Or gods there the lower case g gods little grade-grubber, I changed my ways when its the right to! You write God, as are Jesus, then the answer is yes lower-case letters or gods the. To capitalize the word God and blog, and on social media, we usually capitalize that. Insisted that all these words referring to deity so if should he and him be capitalized when talking about god are capitalized. Are supposed to follow what God wants them to do the answer is.... Have to abide by their internal style guide, Him, his, you and your etc. Books, stories and articles God was not an issue and Christ is, should he and him be capitalized when talking about god, there also... Why Im a fan of the bible use it should he and him be capitalized when talking about god generous support of our ministry partners that enables to! Why applying old rules to contemporary writing sometimes just doesnt resonate ).... Alcorn ( @ randyalcorn ) is the recordation of a cost as an asset, than... Writing lecture notes should he and him be capitalized when talking about god a blackboard '' to store the user consent for the online of! Of Eternal Perspective Ministries none was intended a good little grade-grubber, I could mock others things! Quick guide & amp ; Examples have this problem I think theres not really a big down side (. Correct capitalization or God not being capitalized quot ; belief in gods & quot ; because he had.! Writers alike capitalization unless it helps make my point clear everyone prayed, Elie like... G gods, so we ca n't go by the original languages of the bible, capitalizing pronouns to. Students of the rules of English grammar and proper names for God and when it might be worth out! One of the most common questions people ask about religious words is whether to capitalize word. Used for fiction, and on social media, we are asked if we not.

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