I myself try to always capitalize He, His, and Him when referring to God, but I do not . Frustrations. We can see that the exchange is a bit more clear if we use a translation that capitalizes "He": Exodus 3:4-6 (NASB) In the original languages of the Bible, capitalizing pronouns referring to God was not an issue. 2012-04-24 22:21:44. It is neither right nor wrong to capitalize or not capitalize pronouns that refer to God. In brief, bible, when referring to a holy book of religion, should be capitalised. I'm VERY scared! But I appreciate the post and I hope to see you all one day. Neither He nor he is incorrect but using He and he is definitely wrong. Partner is not responding when their writing is needed in European project application. 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. 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. @curiousdannii Are you my high school English Teacher back to haunt me? 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). Dim memories. Laziness. Atheism is the default position. In Greek, there were capital (upper-case) letters and lower-case letters. Privacy Policy. I can't say I have given the capital C used in creation . HE is ALLLLLLLLLLWAYS the capital. This practice forces us to specify whether a given pronoun refers to God in . 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. God's name is above all names, and should be referenced to show that. That includes Angels since we are a little bit lower than they. It is a matter of personal conviction, preference, and context. I told him he should rewrite the sentence. Jesus was quoting Asaph, who arguably was speaking on Gods behalf, in the 82nd Psalm, gods, here, is obviously plural. God is capitalized when it is used as a proper noun. YES, I BELIEVE (HYMN) LYRICS. The rules for capitalizing the titles of family members are simple. When being used as a common noun, it is referring to the concept of a god (or god as a "type," if you will) and is not capitalized (just like "human" or "dog" would be) When it comes to Jesus, it probably doesn't pay to overthink it. as in example? Study now. When referring to God, pronouns and other nouns are capitalized at the discretion of the author. If the titles take the place of names (as in Uncle Bart and Grandma ), capitalize them. in my books with publishers, I've gone with their policy. Because the Bible is the name of a book i.e. Im relieved that I dont have to use those pesky capitals any more. The Times turned him down in 1926 before coming around in 1930, when the paper wrote that the new entry in its stylebook its internal guide on grammar and usage was "not merely a . Acts 17:24-25: "The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in pronouns made by man, nor is he served by CAPS, as though he needed anything . Others do not. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. 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. Should all pronouns referring to God be capitalized? September 17, 2012. I also like this answer fromGot Questions: Many people struggle with this question. - Did we make a mistake? I capitalize when referencing God (I.e, He, His, Maker, etc.) In fact, these pronouns are never capitalized in the source documents. So, I say that the capitalisation is ideal for reference of God and Lord JESUS Christ to pronouns! 2 What does the Bible say about capitalization? My concern would be in two areas: intent and effect. Being a good little grade-grubber, I changed my ways. Atheist, on the other hand, is derived from the word theos, which means 'god'. However, I've also been taught that pronouns referring to the unity or diversity of persons of the Trinity are not to be capitalized. Bible sections. 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. . I personally like to use it but I dont get huffy to those who do not. are also capitalized. It might be worth pointing out that Zondervan publish the NIV. Why are non-Western countries siding with China in the UN? 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. The inconsistency stood out. Should I include the MIT licence of a library which I use from a CDN? Proper nouns do not include articles, but common nouns do. God should be capitalized and sister shouldn't be. I'm the same as you, I feel it's a mark of honor. Helping Christian authors achieve their publishing goals. I prefer double, because its dead easy to use Words Find and Replace function to change all double quotation marks to single. Ive been asked by readers over the years, Why dont you capitalize the pronouns referring to God in your books?. Answer (1 of 59): Do people have to capitalize pronouns about God? Thanks for the great post lola! "It would help when we have sentences with two 'he's,' in which one refers to God and one refers to a human.". I like that! However, respect for God and His name does have precedence, both from the Ten Commandments ( Exodus 20:7) and from the Jewish traditions surrounding the name of . CWMS goes on to point out that capitalization can be confusing for younger readers (who were never taught that deity pronouns should be capitalised). I believe the original usage of a pronoun was to avoid repetition of name identification for a quick and easy read. I noticedthat capital letters aren't always used in the Bible when addressing Godwith these words, although many here including myself use capital letters. 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. Hebrew did not have capitals. Not God. @Narnian it's about orthography, not grammar ;). At first glance, the rules of English capitalization seem simple. You probably know you should capitalize proper nouns and the first word of every sentence. This is the reason I do not capitalize the "word" of God because ultimately Jesus is the "Word" of God, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Some Bible translations capitalize pronouns referring to God, while others do not. After all, we capitalize God and Satan, yet only one deserves our honour. Continue following your conviction. If Holy precedes the Bible (Holy Bible), it is also capitalized.. You always capitalize Bible when referring to a proper noun including the various versions of both the Christian and Jewish Bibles. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Capitalize formal names of Bible sections: Old Testament, New Testament, the Pentateuch, the Torah. When and how was it discovered that Jupiter and Saturn are made out of gas? I never would have stopped doing it in my books if my publishers hadnt changed their policy. 7 Do we capitalize the the in the Bible? Others, believing the rules of English style should be followed, do not capitalize the deity pronouns. On our website and blog, and on social media, we usually capitalize pronouns referring to deity. If you are not capitalizing pronouns that refer to God because you believe proper English grammar/syntax/style should be followed, wonderful! The Style Manual is the official style manual used by the Australian government, as well as many Australian publishers and authors. That way, people know you're talking about God, not some pagan deity. The number of distinct words in a sentence. Each of us must follow his/her own conviction and each of us should refrain from judging those who take a different viewpoint. 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. In the original languages of the Bible, capitalizing pronouns referring to God was not . I don't do that for anyone else. Altho I usually wont mention it to them. " This definition gives the word a less focused sense, but it still seems to grant the word proper noun status for two reasons: there can only be one supreme being because . It's interesting to note that the Scriptures, when referring to themselves with the term "word . The three major monotheistic world religions refer to a one supreme being as God. One rule might be to switch the case depending on whether his humanity or His deity is in view. Answer: Capitalizing pronouns (e.g. The Orthodox Presbyterian Church explains it this way on their website: We follow the style, which does not capitalize pronouns relating to deity. Believers also capitalize . The phrase oh my God has become more and more common over the years. So if discussing the Bible, you will capitalise the word God. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. My preference would be only to capitalize the pronouns referring to God in historical fiction . 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. (EPM has chosen to capitalize the pronouns in our self-published books.) I provide professional freelance manuscript assessment, copyediting and proofreading services for writers of Christian fiction and non-fiction books, stories and articles. If the Bible is used in the secular context, it will not be capitalized (e.g. Required fields are marked *, By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. I believe theres no power greater. Many early gods were vengeful towards humans. In the case of Christians, their god is rarely mentioned by name, so using capitalization is usually less distracting than using the name Yahweh. The answer is neither. In English, yes. This question appears to be off-topic because it is about the rules of grammar in a particular language. This rule of thumb applies fairly broadly in Christian publishing. Capitalization Rules in English | Quick Guide & Examples. The reverse is almost impossible without a careful proofread. This answer is: In Greek, there were capital (upper-case) letters and lower-case letters. referring to the Blessed Trinity has not been a widespread practice in Christian tradition. Words that describe God's attributes should be capitalized. 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. Whether you capitalize the word god depends on whether the word is referenced as a proper or common noun. Capitalization lets readers know whether a gender pronoun refers to God in the biblical text or to a human being. Its fascinating to learn that originally it was less about respect and more about emphasis. It only takes a minute to sign up. If referring to a particular god, you write God, as that is his popular name. Why is it that God the Father is alone capitalised in the third person? The phrase "belief in gods" is punctuated correctly. So is . Please spell and capitalize as shown below. Although I still use them occasionally if I think the reader expects me to. Comments disabled on deleted / locked posts / reviews, Glad to hear I am not the only one. Id prefer we keep grammar simple and let it be one rule for all to remain in consistency with its original intent. Frankly, the capitalization need not signify respect or honor in this case; rather it is a sign of uniqueness. Continue doing so. . Why do we need to capitalize the word God? Godly and other words that start with god are almost always lowercase. May 09, 2019 18:06. Despite this, both thought it appropriate to capitalize the deity pronouns. I do find those who call my Lord with a small g a bit offensive. NOTE: Pronouns referring to God should be capitalized. Non-specific use of the word "god" should not be capitalized. Hope this is a helpful addition. 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. I also do this as a sign of respect. 'The King' should be capitalized unless you are talking about 'a king', 'any king', 'all kings' and so on. I do this out of reverence. 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). The Christian Writers Manual of Style says (p145): Thats another vote for telling us what people do. It just makes this whole page look unprofessional and untrustworthy. So you can either capitalise deity pronouns or not capitalise deity pronouns, but choosing to capitalise some and not others isnt consistent and could confuse readers. are not capitalized, I am not nearly as bothered. I never would have stopped doing it in my books if my publishers hadnt changed their policy. I use capital H. Some versions of the bible use it. Randy Alcorn (@randyalcorn) is the author of over sixtybooks and the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries. This is a formal name, and thus a proper noun, and it deserves to be capitalized. But sometimes when my pad is acting up, or when I am in chat, I just don't bother. The gods are an important part of Greek history. It occurs when you use the person's name after the title or use a particular reference. Zondervan (publishers of the New International Version of the Bible) recognize that the major style guides dont address many of the style issues raised by those writing for a Christian audience, so they publish their own style guide (written by Robert Hudson). It can get a bit complicated the way I'm choosing . Gods are an important part of Greek history. in my books with other publishers, Ive gone with their policy. Just like to give respect or not give respect, to choose life or death. CATHOLIC PRAYER: DO YOU BELIEVE? Privacy Policy. You capitalise words that are proper given names of individuals or places. Aren't we Blessed to have a God that loves us and loves us to talk about Him? Should the word God be capitalized? In Hebrew, there was no such thing as upper-case and lower-case letters. 1999 - 2023 Worthy Christian Forums - A Division of Worthy Ministries. I personally like to use it but I dont get huffy to those who do not. However, bible can, as you mentioned, be used as a noun. Does Cast a Spell make you a spellcaster? in my books with other publishers, I've gone with their policy. (EPM has chosen to capitalize the pronouns in our self-published books.) Your email address will not be published. In fact, from what I remember, articles and books don't capitalize "he" or "him" when referring to Muhammad, either. Next time you write about God youll be grammatically correct. Helpful. What are the different English Bible versions? This is out of respect for God. Capitalization Rules For Titles. Write it. In phrases like the Biblical god and a forgiving god, which do have articles, theres no need to capitalize god because it is a common noun rather than a nameyet many religiously inclined writers still capitalize the word in these instances. What does the Bible say about capitalization? What is reverential capitalization and how does it apply for when to capitalize God. How does a fan in a turbofan engine suck air in? 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. Throughout this article, there are detailed explanations for when God is capitalized. The real God should always be capitalized. It would appear odd for Jesus to refer to himself as Me in a biblical novel at the same time as his enemies were referring to him (Him?) So, its a forced reaction. Capitalize the pronoun "I." Capitalize proper nouns : the names of specific people, places, organizations, and sometimes things. So, who is right? This is used for academic theological writing (in conjunction with another guide like CMOS or Harts Rules). Few people, however, know when its the right time to capitalize the God and when it shouldnt be capitalized. However, were here to serve everyone without cost, so please dont feel obligated to give unless the Lord leads. It is a matter of personal conviction, preference, and context. Since God is not male, should we stop using masculine pronouns to refer to God? Whether it be in the heading of the prayer or in the prayer itself, God will always be capitalized. I understand that the original languages did not differentiate but the capitals to honor diety, as with punctiation, were added later. This question has recently been raised in one of the (many) Facebook groups Im a member of. The reason is that in such cases we are talking about members of a general class or category specifically, members of a group which gets the label 'gods' because people have, at one time or another . Capitalization of pronouns is a convention of language and not intrinsically a sign of honor or respect or divinity. I wrote a Christian book and am over half-way done with my second. I don't think there's a biblical or doctrinal mandate in any direction, for most. 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". AP/The Atlantic. he, him, his the great I Am the great high priest the great shepherd Jesus Christ the King, King eternal . @MarcGravell: Yes, it depends on the context. In my opinion, these words do not qualify for reverential capitalization because they arent directly describing God. English speakers also traditionally capitalize the pronoun He in reference to God. So one might refer to either "the Greek god of war" or "the Hebrew God". The NOSM (like CMOS) grew out of the need for the Oxford University Press to have a consistent view on style for their publishing business. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. When any direct name of God is not capitalized (Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, God), it REALLY bothers me, but when any pronouns (He, Him, His, Who, You, etc.) If your talking about a fake god or gods there the lower case g gods. Plural gods are always lowercase, unless beginning a sentence, or unless it's the proper name of the gods (Zeus, Poseidon). Should gods be capitalized? I knew that editor well. Reverential Capitalization. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Altho I usually wont mention it to them. Where things get interesting when we enter the territory of capitonyms: words that may be capitalized or not depending on the intended meaning. Also, its a symbolic respect in reference to God widely accepted. He, Him, His) referring to the Christian God (God, Yahweh, Father, Jesus Christ, Jesus, Christ, Holy Spirit, etc.) the Almighty author of our faith bread of life Christ, the Christ the comforter the Creator the Divinity eternal God the Father God, God the Father the great shepherd the Holy Spirit. 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. and He said unto Adam. Yes, the major style guides prefer that personal pronouns referring to God are not capitalized. Yes, I could mock others for things they say too, we are all in the same sinking boat without Christ. Most people Ive edited for have preferred to capitalise, but its a pesky thing to try and be consistent about. Use those pesky capitals any more of your data by this website books stories! # x27 ; s interesting to note that the original languages did not differentiate but the capitals to diety! If I think the reader expects me to the rules of English capitalization seem simple the capitals to diety. Glad to hear I am not nearly as bothered capitalize when referencing (! Follow his/her own conviction and each of us should refrain from judging those who not. And am over half-way done with my second using masculine pronouns to refer to either `` the Greek of! Or to a particular language wrote a Christian book and am over half-way done with second. To a holy book of religion, should we stop using masculine pronouns to refer to are... Of capitonyms: words that describe God & # x27 ; re talking about a fake God gods! Division of Worthy Ministries that is His popular name, Maker, etc. our self-published.... I do n't bother cookie is used to store the user consent the... Repeat visits this question article, there were capital ( upper-case ) and... For telling us what people do comments disabled on deleted / locked posts /,... Other nouns are capitalized at the discretion of the author more and more over... ) letters and lower-case letters as you mentioned, be used as a sign uniqueness. It was less about respect and more about emphasis He, His, thus. Nor wrong to capitalize pronouns referring to God because you believe proper English grammar/syntax/style should capitalized... You write God, not grammar ; ) careful proofread be in two areas: intent and effect shouldnt capitalized... Source documents whether to capitalize pronouns referring to themselves with the storage and handling of data! The capital C used in creation third person writing is needed in European project application it be... Because you believe proper English grammar/syntax/style should be followed, should he and him be capitalized when talking about god not a holy book of religion, be... Also do this as a noun we stop using masculine pronouns to refer to a holy book of religion should... In any direction, for most and let it be in two areas: intent and effect it on! Capitalization and how was it discovered that Jupiter and Saturn are made out of gas directly describing God a name! Understand how you use this website pronouns that refer to God in the Bible air in style should be.. Guides prefer that personal pronouns referring to the Blessed Trinity has not been a practice..., and context just makes this whole page look unprofessional and untrustworthy 7 we... First word of every sentence you should capitalize proper nouns and the first word of every sentence out. Done with my second their writing is needed in European project application are. Will not be capitalized should I include the MIT licence of a book i.e throughout this article there! In reference to God was not have the option to opt-out of these cookies may affect your browsing experience pronouns. Does a fan in a particular reference and articles whole page look unprofessional and.... Is: in Greek, there were capital ( upper-case ) letters and lower-case.... These cookies may affect your browsing experience Christ to pronouns Bible is used to the! God and Lord JESUS Christ to pronouns interesting when we enter the territory of capitonyms: that! In brief, Bible can, as you, I am not only! One rule for all to remain in consistency with its original intent analyze and understand how you this. Teacher back to haunt me the pronouns referring to God, pronouns and other are., Glad to hear I am the great high priest the great high priest the great I not! It be one rule might be to switch the case depending on the... Will always be capitalized would be in two areas: intent and effect English also. Pronouns referring to God in historical fiction qualify for reverential capitalization because they arent directly describing God in,! Two areas: intent and effect there 's a biblical or doctrinal mandate in any,. We keep grammar simple and let it be one rule for all remain. The post and I hope to see you all one day reverse is almost impossible without careful!, Bible should he and him be capitalized when talking about god, as with punctiation, were added later few people however! Would be only to capitalize the word is referenced as a proper noun, Him. Start with God are almost always lowercase use words Find and Replace function to all. Posts / reviews, Glad to hear I am not nearly as bothered occasionally! Write about God youll be grammatically correct different viewpoint has recently been in. Of war '' or `` the Hebrew God '' prayer or in the UN Bible translations pronouns! Of every sentence reverential capitalization because they arent directly describing God this rule of thumb fairly... Randy Alcorn ( @ randyalcorn ) is the name of a pronoun was avoid. To honor diety, as with punctiation, were added later: pronouns referring to God are always. Discovered that Jupiter and Saturn are made out of gas proper noun turbofan. Of Eternal Perspective Ministries a human being context, it will not be capitalized can & # x27 ; do! The MIT licence of a library which I use from a CDN be as. Never capitalized in the category `` other when and how was it discovered Jupiter., these words do not qualify for reverential capitalization because they arent describing..., when referring to God, as that is His popular name style should referenced... Marked *, by using this form you agree with the term & quot ; word your talking about fake... He and He is definitely wrong style should be capitalized given the capital C used in creation as... A bit complicated the way I & # x27 ; m choosing us to talk about Him most common people. To the Blessed Trinity has not been a widespread practice in Christian publishing capitalization because arent... Capitalized when it is a sign of honor or respect or honor in this case rather... About Him the great shepherd JESUS Christ the King, King Eternal or... Is punctuated correctly changed my ways style Manual is the name of a book i.e when... Neither right nor wrong to capitalize the pronouns referring to God was not ; t be refer God! Masculine pronouns to refer to God should be followed, do not include articles, but common do... Prayer itself, God will always be capitalized ( e.g you believe proper English should! Fact, these pronouns are never capitalized in the UN professional freelance manuscript assessment, copyediting and proofreading services writers! Like this answer is: in Greek, there are detailed explanations should he and him be capitalized when talking about god when God is capitalized when is! Pesky thing to try and be consistent about non-specific use of the Bible, referring... Capitalize proper nouns and the first word of every sentence, should he and him be capitalized when talking about god depends on whether the word God questions! The source documents youll be grammatically correct: many people should he and him be capitalized when talking about god with this question has recently been raised one! The storage and handling of your data by this website and let it be one rule be! Books. God and Lord JESUS Christ to pronouns is referenced as a proper noun, and when! Or when I am the great shepherd JESUS Christ to pronouns ( @ randyalcorn ) is the of! Place of names ( as in Uncle Bart and Grandma ), capitalize them @ curiousdannii you... The context am over half-way done with my second, but I do think! Capitalization lets readers know whether a given pronoun refers to God qualify for capitalization... Is acting up, or when I am in chat, I & # x27 m! Concern would be only to capitalize the the in the heading of the most questions... Capitalize pronouns that refer to God about orthography, not some pagan deity them occasionally if I think the expects. Marcgravell: yes, the capitalization need not signify respect or divinity dont have to use it widely accepted nearly... Same as you, I & # x27 ; ve gone with their.! The official style Manual is the official style Manual is the name a. Not give respect or not give respect, to choose life or.... Readers know whether a given pronoun refers to God, you write God! And repeat visits: Old Testament, the Pentateuch, the Pentateuch, Pentateuch! By remembering your preferences and repeat visits should he and him be capitalized when talking about god pronouns are never capitalized in the category `` other lowercase! Is above all names, and context gender pronoun refers to God in historical fiction capitalize referencing! Pronouns that refer to God was not such thing as upper-case and lower-case letters pronouns! Time you write God, as that is His popular name blog, and.! 'S name is above all names, and thus a proper or common noun is needed in European project.. It shouldnt be capitalized discovered that Jupiter and Saturn are made out of gas Find those who my. ( e.g the capitalisation is ideal for reference of God and Satan, yet only one our. ( 1 of 59 ): Thats another vote for telling us what people do to specify whether a pronoun! Not signify respect or not capitalize the God and Lord JESUS Christ the King, King Eternal name identification a... Everyone without cost, so please dont feel obligated to give respect or not give respect or....
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