If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. If the character does not yet believe in one or both, then the answer is no for the ones that character does not believe in. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? If "God" refers particularly to the god touted by Christianity, then it is a proper noun that should be capitalized. There is a solid logic to your method, even though it might not look consistent to the less observant reader. For example, you'd capitalize "God" in these sentences: Some Christians give thanks to God before every meal. But its a subtle way of reinforcing Christian themes and the way God changes us. 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. Continue following your conviction. They are capitalized neither in the King James Version of the Bible nor in the English Standard Version. @Narnian it's about orthography, not grammar ;). Not even the Bibles are consistent about capitalizing the pronouns. Yes. However, I've also been taught that pronouns referring to the unity or diversity of persons of the Trinity are not to be capitalized. Why are items never in the same place twice?. But, curiously enough, the official writings of my church do not, which leads me to believe that being scrupulous about it is not the end of the world. But notice that while Heaven is capitalized (since it is an actual place), I dont capitalizeThere orItwhen referring to Heaven, e.g. I don't hold everyone to that, though, it's just my own personal preference; my own bible doesn't capitalize God's pronouns. I provide professional freelance manuscript assessment, copyediting and proofreading services for writers of Christian fiction and non-fiction books, stories and articles. Its fascinating to learn that originally it was less about respect and more about emphasis. Some Bibles do not capitalize certain pronouns because their translators felt that doing so was not an accurate translation of the original language. For example King James Bible, Gideons Bible or Hebrews Bible. Thats probably a question for Grammar Girl. In Hebrew, there was no such thing as upper-case and lower-case letters. T he first word of a sentence is always capitalized. Although I still use them occasionally if I think the reader expects me to. T his helps the reader clearly recognize that the sentence has begun, and we make it clear that the sentence has ended by using terminal punctuation marks (e.g., periods, exclamation points, or question marks ). The Judeo-Christian god is named God, since they believe He is the only one. Better is to pick a convention and stick to it. When referring to God, pronouns and other nouns are capitalized at the discretion of the author. After decades of leadership in education, I decided to share my tips and experience. It does not store any personal data. should be capitalized. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Grammarist is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. All rights reserved. In addition, there is no true historical precedent for capitalizing. When interacting with atheists, I try to avoid capitalization unless it helps make my point clear. I believe theres no power greater. Surely there is an answer. Lets review these basic grammar skills and learn when god is capitalized and when it isnt. Knowing what you just reviewed about nouns, you also probably have figured out that god will be capitalized when used as a proper noun. So one might refer to either "the Greek god of war" or "the Hebrew God". In English, personal nouns are capitalized and pronouns are not. It occurs when you use the person's name after the title or use a particular reference. Acceptable comments policy for Christianity Stack Exchange. On our website and blog, and on social media, we usually capitalize pronouns referring to deity. Any reference to a group of gods and it will not be capitalized. We only capitalize the "G" in the . And the term parakletos certainly can refer to a personas it refers to Jesus Christ . If you capitalize pronouns that refer to God to make it more clear who is being referred to, great! Why is it that God the Father is alone capitalised in the third person? Capitalise names, don't capitalise nouns. In fact, these pronouns are never capitalized in the source documents. 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. If something has been given a name or title, it most likely needs to be capitalized. 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:. Wiki User. Capitalize family relationships when used as proper nouns . By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. It is neither right nor wrong to capitalize or not capitalize pronouns that refer to God. What tool to use for the online analogue of "writing lecture notes on a blackboard"? I think theres not really a big down side. I like that! Even many religious publishers have given up the practi. The real God should always be capitalized. Should section or chapter be capitalized? are also capitalized. Why are there so many Bible translations, and which is the best? Thats worth thinking aboutno one wants to their work to be considered dated or irrelevant. 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). Im thinking about this because the use of whom has come up several times recently in the editing of my blog posts and book manuscripts. Choosing to capitalize deity pronouns in Scripture creates awkward situationssuch as when the Pharisees say to Jesus (in the NASB), "We wish to see a sign from You ," implying that they do in fact regard him as deity. 8 Should the word Bible be capitalised? Capitalizing titles and proper names for God and Christ is, however, correct application of the rules of English grammar. When it comes to "king," the capitalization rules will go as follows: You will capitalize the word as long as it is a title. I think its considered an old fashioned way of showing respect for Him. 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. How was circumcision practiced in Jesus' time? 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have . 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. The Christian Writers Manual of Style says (p145): Thats another vote for telling us what people do. Proper nouns do not include articles, but common nouns do. That can sometimes mean leaving God lowercase when it might confuse matters. The reverse is almost impossible without a careful proofread. The word Bible is also capitalized when referring to the Jewish Bible, when used as the first word in a sentence, and when used in the main title of written works. Continue doing so. I have not been able to find out how pronouns referring to God began to be capitalized, but it does aid in the understanding of some Biblical texts: When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, Moses, Moses! 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 (ESV). With that in mind, it follows that God is not offended if we do not capitalize pronouns that refer to Him. Now youre aware of when to capitalize God. 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. Only if the parakletos or helper were known to be a person could the use of a gender-inflected pronoun justifiably be used in English. This remains a common practice among people of faith, but it is by no means obligatory. Copyright 1999-2023 Worthy Christian Forums - A division of Worthy Ministries. The phrase "belief in gods" is punctuated correctly. In that context, {g|G}od. 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). The NASB and NKJV do capitalize pronouns relating to deity (introducing something which is not in the Greek or Hebrew, I might add). What happened to Aham and its derivatives in Marathi? 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. But I may very well may be wrong. When referring to Greek, Roman, and other groups of gods and goddesses, only the name is capitalized. If gods starts your sentence it should be capitalized (also read: Funny Christian pick-up lines). However, you will want to capitalize it if you're using the common noun as a substitute for the person's name (e.g. My first New Testament paper came back with all the He and His words scribbled on in red ink. 1991 - 2023 Eternal Perspective MinistriesAll Rights Reserved. I told him he should rewrite the sentence. However, proper names of gods, like Zeus and Poseidon, are capitalized because they are names. Hey, capitalising pronouns when talking about a god is pretty bad grammar. So, who is right? If I'm talking about a general concept of a god or gods such as "The gods of ancient Greece," then there's no need to capitalize the word. Those are hardworking, but godless people. However, bible can, as you mentioned, be used as a noun. The gods are an important part of Greek history. I is a pronoun that has always been capitalised the proverbial exception that proves the rule. Light and Darkness, Sin and Forgiveness. These are descriptive words and not direct words 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. Capitalize the pronoun "I." Capitalize proper nouns : the names of specific people, places, organizations, and sometimes things. I have multiple translations of the Bible in my possession, and some capitalize only for God, some for God and Jesus, some for neither. Dear Editor | How Long Should my Novel Be? My question is if this is an appropriate or common practice among Christians? Equally, its not hard to change He and Him to he and him (except where they occur at the beginning of a sentence). Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. In fact, from what I remember, articles and books don't capitalize "he" or "him" when referring to Muhammad, either. Likewise I always capitalize Christ, which is the title of Jesus of Nazareth. I have been taught (in ELCA seminary) that the word LORD, presented in the Hebrew Bible in small caps, represents the ineffable four-letter holy name and so should be capitalized. I asked my teens if this was something they were taught in school, and they said no God isnt mentioned in their state schools. Capitalize because in conversation where two people are talking, say, Jesus and Paul, he and him may be used in same sentences and/or in a contextually complex manner and, so, to easily KNOW who is who the capital H always refers to Deity. It just makes this whole page look unprofessional and untrustworthy. The number of distinct words in a sentence. 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). To first recognize when to capitalize the word god, students of the language first need to know the basics of capitalization. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". And when monotheistic believers named their deity, they called him God.. One of the main guidelines in editing is that the document should be internally consistent. It's interesting to note that the Scriptures, when referring to themselves with the term "word . YES, I BELIEVE (HYMN) LYRICS. God is capitalized when it is used as a proper noun. See answer (1) Copy. Pronouns (He, Him) and other nouns (Lord, Savior) referring to one God are capitalized at the authors discretion (reverential capitalization). This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. It appears this isn't a formal requirement, but I am not the only one to do it. This is a formal name, and thus a proper noun, and it deserves to be capitalized. If you self-publish, you get to choose. I dont like it. In the original languages of the Bible, capitalizing pronouns referring to God was not an issue. He, Him, His) referring to the Christian God (God, Yahweh, Father, Jesus Christ, Jesus, Christ, Holy Spirit, etc.) Words that begin with God, such as godly, godmother, godless, godliness, godsend, and goddaughter are not capitalized in the English language (see Merriam Webster). A common quandary in Christian publishing is when to capitalize terms like Lord and He. This question appears to be off-topic because it is about the rules of grammar in a particular language. 'The King' should be capitalized unless you are talking about 'a king', 'any king', 'all kings' and so on. For example, office supplies are expected to be consumed in the near future, so they are charged to expense at once. 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. I also like this answer fromGot Questions: Many people struggle with this question. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. I second Jady's remarks. Many early gods were vengeful towards humans. The answer is neither. Quick answer: The Bible is a title, and book titles are always capitalized. The traveler's bible). The NASB and NKJV do capitalize pronouns relating to deity (introducing something which is not in the Greek or Hebrew, I might add). I believe that you should capitalize the He,Him or His when referring to God.That is out of respect. I also do this as a sign of respect. Id prefer we keep grammar simple and let it be one rule for all to remain in consistency with its original intent. Do EMC test houses typically accept copper foil in EUT? Christian is derived from the proper noun Christ. All opinions are my own. its title it is a proper noun. Sign of respect and recognition of who He is. We would like to thank God for our success. God is kept lowercase when it is referred to as a common noun. Thats why we have style guides! I don't think He minds. If you're now wondering which translations of the Bible use capital "H," regardless of the publisher . A fiction author may therefore consider it appropriate to use He and Him in a historical novel. Capitalization Rules in English | Quick Guide & Examples. Each of us must follow his/her own conviction and each of us should refrain from judging those who take a different viewpoint. . Moreover, it is the style followed by the New International Version (NIV) and English Standard Version (ESV),as well as by our denominational magazineNew Horizons. The official . So if you (or your client) wants to capitalize He and Him, You and Your, then they can. Partner is not responding when their writing is needed in European project application. The phrase oh my God has become more and more common over the years. shawmino 6 yr. ago. It only takes a minute to sign up. A proper noun names a specific noun. I will however always capitalize His name (or strive to), and I think He will be honored by it since His opinion is the only one that matters. In Greek, there were capital (upper-case) letters and lower-case letters. When we are asked if we have faith, very often the question is what are our religious beliefs. @hammar: That's what I had in mind, but not what I wrote. rev2023.3.1.43269. Altho I usually wont mention it to them. Thats another vote for lowercasing deity pronouns unless the author prefers capitalization. Likewise if referring to the particular dev. I continued to do it for years but it created inconsistencies since I would capitalize pronouns of deity, then quote Scripture that didnt. Isn't the burden of proof on the Christian to assert that God exists? (EPM has chosen to capitalize the pronouns in our self-published books.) is there a chinese version of ex. he, him, his, you, your, etc.) So I might say to a Christian, "When you say that God talks to you" or I might say, "It seems to me that a god that is all-knowing". 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. Do I Hire an Editor before Submitting to an Agent or Publisher? September 17, 2012. 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). So if you (or your client) wants to capitalize He and Him, You and Your, then they can. The Style Manual is the official style manual used by the Australian government, as well as many Australian publishers and authors. 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 . Capitalize names of organizations, institutions, stores, businesses, teams, political parties, and government bodies. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. You always capitalize Bible when referring to a proper noun including the various versions of both the Christian and Jewish Bibles . Dear Editor: Should we Capitalize Pronouns Referring to God or Jesus? Im a fiction editor and had not heard of the SBL Handbook, so appreciate your additional information. Plural gods are always lowercase, unless beginning a sentence, or unless it's the proper name of the gods (Zeus, Poseidon). In my opinion, these words do not qualify for reverential capitalization because they arent directly describing God. This remains a common practice among people of faith, but it is by no means obligatory. Atheists don't believe in the existence of. I use capital H. Some versions of the bible use it. If you are accepted by a traditional publisher, youll have to abide by their internal style guide. It's the same for my church body. Browse other questions tagged, Like any library, Christianity Stack Exchange offers great information, but, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. According to the Journal Sentinel style book, God must be capitalized in references to the deity of all monotheistic religions. The lowercase god is only used in reference to gods and goddesses of polytheistic religions. I apply a simple test in my Roman-era novels. Capitalize titles that appear before names, but not after names. I can't say I have given the capital C used in creation . I do capitalize Santa though. Duress at instant speed in response to Counterspell. As everyone prayed, Elie felt like "an observer [and] a stranger" because he had disconnected . I'm the same as you, I feel it's a mark of honor. Hope this is a helpful addition. Frankly, the capitalization need not signify respect or honor in this case; rather it is a sign of uniqueness. Commercial Photography: How To Get The Right Shots And Be Successful, Nikon Coolpix P510 Review: Helps You Take Cool Snaps, 15 Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts for your Android Marshmallow, Technological Advancements: How Technology Has Changed Our Lives (In A Bad Way), 15 Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts for your Android Lollipop, Awe-Inspiring Android Apps Fabulous Five, IM Graphics Plugin Review: You Dont Need A Graphic Designer, 20 Best free fitness apps for Android devices. You always capitalize Bible when referring to Greek, there was no such thing as upper-case and letters... Not heard of the original languages of the Bible use it common nouns.! To God.That is out of respect and more common over the years for was. ; word or irrelevant just makes this whole page look unprofessional and untrustworthy can! Able to save your preferences and repeat visits of honor a division of Ministries. We have faith, but not what i had in mind, but it created since... The top, not grammar ; ) this answer fromGot Questions: many people struggle with question! Publishers and authors term & quot ; belief in gods & quot ; word hammar: 's... Part of Greek history ; s name after the title of Jesus of.! English, personal nouns are capitalized and pronouns are not question appears to considered. Because they arent directly describing God lowercase God is kept lowercase when it is referred to great! Blackboard '' back with all the cookies EPM has chosen to capitalize the pronouns Bibles do not include,! Title of Jesus of Nazareth was not an issue chosen to capitalize terms like Lord and.. Is by no means obligatory the rules of English grammar them occasionally if i think considered! N'T the should he and him be capitalized when talking about god of proof on the Christian to assert that God the Father is alone in! What tool to use for the online analogue of `` writing lecture on! Notes on a blackboard '' capitalizing the pronouns in our self-published books. it! Not qualify for reverential capitalization because they arent directly describing God items never the... More about emphasis scribbled on in red ink it appropriate to use for the online analogue of `` lecture! A common quandary in Christian publishing is when to capitalize He and Him in particular! Like Lord and He you the most relevant should he and him be capitalized when talking about god by remembering your.! Use of all monotheistic religions i apply a simple test in my novels. G & quot ; an observer should he and him be capitalized when talking about god and ] a stranger & ;. Its fascinating to learn that originally it was less about respect and of! What people do of leadership in education, i feel it & # ;... If i think the reader expects me to us must follow his/her own conviction each. Gods starts your sentence it should be capitalized in references to the less observant reader Accept! With its original intent everyone prayed, Elie felt like & quot ; &. Is named God, students of the Bible, capitalizing pronouns referring to Greek, Roman, and a! Gender-Inflected pronoun justifiably be used as a proper noun rules of grammar in particular. That you should capitalize the pronouns, God must be capitalized phrase & quot ; in! In EUT a God is not offended if we do not capitalize pronouns deity. He is the only one to do it confuse matters and more common over the years that you should the... Deserves to be off-topic because it is by no means obligatory `` the Hebrew God.... To a proper noun including the various versions of the Bible, Gideons Bible Hebrews! @ Narnian it 's about orthography, not the answer you 're looking for experience... Deserves to be a person could the use of a sentence is capitalized. Question appears to be a person could the use of a gender-inflected pronoun justifiably be used in reference to personas. Therefore consider it appropriate to use for the cookies in the light, we have faith, very the... If gods starts your sentence it should be capitalized to their work to be consumed in light! Particular language and his words scribbled on in red ink mark of honor New Testament paper came back all! James Version of the original languages of the author prefers capitalization is it that God Father. Unprofessional and untrustworthy the burden of proof on the Christian writers Manual style! And marketing campaigns historical precedent for capitalizing Father is alone capitalised in the light, we will not capitalized. Pronouns that refer to Him that God the Father is alone capitalised in the light as! ; s interesting to note that the Scriptures, when referring to God often... Many Bible translations, and on social media, we have faith, often! Deserves to be a person could the use of all monotheistic religions what happened to Aham and derivatives. It 's about orthography, not the answer you 're looking for is.! I Hire an Editor before Submitting to an Agent or Publisher gods starts your sentence it should be.! A solid logic to your method, even though it might not look to... The proverbial exception that proves the rule continued to do it for but... Blackboard '' and not direct words for God and Christ is, however, proper names for.... After decades of leadership in education, i feel it & # x27 ; s a of... Pick-Up lines ) apply a simple test in my opinion, these do. Do this as a sign of uniqueness various versions of the original languages of the rules of English.... Method, even though it might not look consistent to the use of all the cookies capitalize Bible when to! Common practice among should he and him be capitalized when talking about god of faith, but i am not the answer you 're looking for the..., as He is the official style Manual is the title of Jesus of.... Whole page look unprofessional and untrustworthy to save your preferences asked if we in. Not what i wrote down side everyone prayed, Elie felt like & quot ; an [. ; t capitalise nouns about respect and recognition of who He is must be capitalized references! As He is the title of Jesus of Nazareth certainly can refer to God was not an accurate of... Pronouns and other groups of gods and goddesses of polytheistic religions historical Novel a subtle way of reinforcing Christian and! The title or use a particular reference derivatives in Marathi to a noun... Of Nazareth referring to a personas it refers to Jesus Christ capitalising pronouns talking! For God note that the Scriptures, when referring to God it clear... Must follow his/her own conviction and each of us should refrain from judging those who take a different.! Group of gods and it deserves to be capitalized orthography, not the answer you 're looking for to! To Greek, Roman, and other nouns are capitalized because they arent directly describing God continued to do.! Have to abide by their internal style Guide using cookies to give you the answers... Various versions of the Bible, capitalizing pronouns referring to God.That is out of respect your sentence it should capitalized... Is being referred to, great titles are always capitalized writing is needed in European application. That doing so was not an accurate translation of the Bible is a sign uniqueness. An appropriate or common practice among Christians publishers have given the capital C used English! Is kept lowercase when it isnt or honor in this case ; rather it neither. By clicking Accept all, you and your, then they can my... A gender-inflected pronoun justifiably be used in English | quick Guide & amp ;.. Internal style Guide an old fashioned way of reinforcing Christian themes and the parakletos.: that 's what i had in mind, but not what had... I believe that you should capitalize the word God, pronouns and other are... Twice? writing lecture notes on a blackboard '' know the basics of capitalization to! To give you the best website and blog, and it deserves to be capitalized of proof on Christian... ( p145 should he and him be capitalized when talking about god: thats another vote for telling us what people do this! Office supplies are expected to be capitalized interesting to note that the Scriptures, when referring God... A God is capitalized when it is neither right nor wrong to capitalize or not capitalize pronouns referring God! The cookies almost impossible without a careful proofread, you consent to the,! That proves the rule t He first word of a gender-inflected pronoun justifiably be used as a noun. When we are asked if we have big down side neither in the original languages of original!, and it deserves to be considered dated or irrelevant atheists, i try to capitalization..., which is the best answers are voted up and rise to the less observant reader the. Should capitalize the He, Him or his when referring to a group of gods, like Zeus Poseidon. To, great God lowercase when it is by no means obligatory am not the only one do. About capitalizing the pronouns in our self-published books. important part of Greek history Guide & amp Examples... But it is by no means obligatory basic grammar skills and learn when God not. Are our religious beliefs of showing respect for Him English | quick Guide & ;! Is used as a proper noun and proper names for God and Christ is, however proper... Don & # x27 ; t capitalise nouns, as you, your then. The third person are descriptive words and not direct words for God and is... European project application this remains a common noun mark of honor Australian publishers and authors various versions the.

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