On our website and blog, and on social media, we usually capitalize pronouns referring to deity. So one might refer to either "the Greek god of war" or "the Hebrew God". Once again, this is a case when specifics get capitals and general terms are lowercased. The Eight Capitalization Rules 1. . Some, believing it shows reverence for God, capitalize all pronouns that refer to God. To mock another especially for a typo is very immature and childish. Continue doing so. Would the reflected sun's radiation melt ice in LEO? Also, using capitals could imply emphasis where none was intended. When The Atlantic was revising its style guide for the web a few months ago, my cubicle unexpectedly turned into a . Words that describe God's attributes should be capitalized. Hey, capitalising pronouns when talking about a god is pretty bad grammar. If you capitalize pronouns that refer to God to make it more clear who is being referred to, great! 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. 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. So, I say that the capitalisation is ideal for reference of God and Lord JESUS Christ to pronouns! Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. It occurs when you use the person's name after the title or use a particular reference. There are so many words to represent God. The Chicago Manual of Style Online is the venerable, time-tested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. I asked my teens if this was something they were taught in school, and they said no God isnt mentioned in their state schools. this other does. well most of the time. The inconsistency stood out. Quick answer: The Bible is a title, and book titles are always capitalized. There are good reasons to use "He" and equally good reasons to use "he" to refer to Christ depending on context. Continue doing so. It will take some work to go back through what I have already written, but I think it helps to keep it consistent with the contemporary thought. If you are accepted by a traditional publisher, youll have to abide by their internal style guide. Required fields are marked *, By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. For example, "Simeon The . Comments disabled on deleted / locked posts / reviews, Glad to hear I am not the only one. You probably know you should capitalize proper nouns and the first word of every sentence. Aren't we Blessed to have a God that loves us and loves us to talk about Him? 3 eternal God Eucharist Exile (biblical event) The phrase "belief in gods" is punctuated correctly. I prefer double, because its dead easy to use Words Find and Replace function to change all double quotation marks to single. Should section or chapter be capitalized? That includes Angels since we are a little bit lower than they. 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. Some Bible translations capitalize pronouns referring to God, while others do not. @hammar the atheists likely to be having that conversation with Christians are generally familiar with multiple faiths (past and present), all of which (to the atheist) are broadly equal. Duress at instant speed in response to Counterspell. . In the original languages of the Bible, capitalizing pronouns referring to God was not an issue. The rules for capitalizing the titles of family members are simple. When you buy via the links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. If referring to a particular god, you write God, as that is his popular name. Don't forget Jesus' warning: And he said to them, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.Mark 7:6-8 (ESV). or the common noun is being used as a title (e.g. With that in mind, it follows that God is not offended if we do not capitalize pronouns that refer to Him. I havent actually looked at the original use of a pronoun. Why aren't pronouns referring to God capitalized in some Bibles? But I've begun to doubt that practice, at least for published writing (I don't wish to police others . Sign of respect and recognition of who He is. When referring to God, pronouns and other nouns are capitalized at the discretion of the author. Equally, its not hard to change He and Him to he and him (except where they occur at the beginning of a sentence). 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. 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. I hardly ever write the word, so no. Gods are an important part of Greek history. Frankly, the capitalization need not signify respect or honor in this case; rather it is a sign of uniqueness. My preference would be only to capitalize the pronouns referring to God in historical fiction . I'm VERY scared! So, if you feel it is important to honor God's name by altering how you capitalize pronouns referring to Him, that is a fine way to show respect. Should I include the MIT licence of a library which I use from a CDN? for novels set in Victorian England, but not Roman Israel). 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. In the OT especially in the book of Isaiah and Psalm there are certain passages where the pronouns are confusing for a new believer or reader whether it refers to God or to someone else. In the case of Christians, their god is rarely mentioned by name, so using capitalization is usually less distracting than using the name Yahweh. I think theres not really a big down side. For example, God is capitalized in these sentences because it names the religious, monotheistic god (note the lack of definite or indefinite article): When the word god is used as a common noun, it is usually preceded by an article and is a good indication that you must keep the word in lowercase. Summary. Its also shorter and easier to read than CMOS! Our creator, God, will bless our community. AP/The Atlantic. Others don't see it as necessary, whether they hadn . (EPM has chosen to capitalize the pronouns in our self-published books.) 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". Why do we need to capitalize the word God? So, who is right? Pronouns that refer to God (He, Him, His, etc.) However, I've also been taught that pronouns referring to the unity or diversity of persons of the Trinity are not to be 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. But sometimes when my pad is acting up, or when I am in chat, I just don't bother. However, you will want to capitalize it if you're using the common noun as a substitute for the person's name (e.g. . I'm the same as you, I feel it's a mark of honor. Reverential Capitalization. Thats another vote for lowercasing deity pronouns unless the author prefers capitalization. Atheist, on the other hand, is derived from the word theos, which means 'god'. Therefore, Bible should be capitalized. I myself try to always capitalize He, His, and Him when referring to God, but I do not . How did Dominion legally obtain text messages from Fox News hosts? 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:. The number of distinct words in a sentence. While a phrase such as 'a godly man' would not use a capital 'c,' the word 'theos' would be capitalized. @curiousdannii Are you my high school English Teacher back to haunt me? Answer (1 of 6): Should I capitalise the words: god, Satan, devil, angel, satanic, heaven and hell? Being a good little grade-grubber, I changed my ways. What does the Bible say about capitalization? YES, I BELIEVE (HYMN) LYRICS. They are not capitalized in the Greek text of the Scriptures. The reverse is almost impossible without a careful proofread. For example King James Bible, Gideons Bible or Hebrews Bible. . he, him, his, you, your, etc.) Helpful. "It would help when we have sentences with two 'he's,' in which one refers to God and one refers to a human.". When referring to Greek, Roman, and other groups of gods and goddesses, only the name is capitalized. Any reference to a group of gods and it will not be capitalized. Others do not. I don't do that for anyone else. This is out of respect for God. I second Jady's remarks. Somewhere along the line I picked up the habit of capitalizing He, His, Him, etc. The downvoter should also explain why both the Torah and Koran (or Quran) are commonly capitalized, but the Bible (as a religious text) should not be. Two of the 'he's are God, which is clear enough from what is being said. I is a pronoun that has always been capitalised the proverbial exception that proves the rule. The name is used every day in literature, prayer, and even pop culture. Its the generous support of our ministry partners that enables us to continue our eternity-shaping work. If the titles take the place of names (as in Uncle Bart and Grandma ), capitalize them. All Rights Reserved. English speakers also traditionally capitalize the pronoun He in reference to God. Polytheistic religions have multiple gods referred to in lowercase unless the specific name of the god is being used, such as Zeus. Letter case is a relatively modern innovation, so we can't go by the original languages. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. God is kept lowercase when it is referred to as a common noun. Others, believing the rules of English style should be followed, do not capitalize the deity pronouns. And the term parakletos certainly can refer to a personas it refers to Jesus Christ . The Orthodox Presbyterian Church explains it this way on their website: We follow the style, which does not capitalize pronouns relating to deity. Using my affiliate links means I get a small payment, but you wont pay any more than if you accessed the site directly. I actually like the pesky capitals, but its good to know the decision is really up to the author. What capacitance values do you recommend for decoupling capacitors in battery-powered circuits? Home Dear Editor: Should we Capitalize Pronouns Referring to God or Jesus? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Capitalize titles that refer to Him, like Holy Father, Most Holy One, Bread of Life, and The Almighty. When and how was it discovered that Jupiter and Saturn are made out of gas? He went on to say that He is Lord God Almighty, which means He is the one all-powerful God. 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. 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). Likewise I always capitalize Christ, which is the title of Jesus of Nazareth. The traveler's bible). When it comes to Jesus, it probably doesn't pay to overthink it. The three major monotheistic world religions refer to a one supreme being as God. See answer (1) Copy. Interesting topic. Other references or alternative names of God are also capitalized. May 29, 2014. Continue following your conviction. NOTE: Pronouns referring to God should be capitalized. Non-specific use of the word "god" should not be capitalized. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. How was circumcision practiced in Jesus' time? Thats probably a question for Grammar Girl. Do EMC test houses typically accept copper foil in EUT? 7 Do we capitalize the the in the Bible? My concern would be in two areas: intent and effect. 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. Dim memories. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? We can refer to Jesus as He or he, Him or him, but we must choose one and apply that style choice consistently. Atheism is the default position. I like that! Continue doing so. in my books with publishers, Ive gone with their policy. 5 Why do we need to capitalize the word God? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. is there a chinese version of ex. Whether it be in the heading of the prayer or in the prayer itself, God will always be capitalized. To be sure, there will continue to be many opportunities to use the word in lowercase form. But they also allow for author (or publisher) preference. Write it. 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. Other references or alternative names of God are also capitalized. God's name is above all names, and should be referenced to show that. @hammar: That's what I had in mind, but not what I wrote. Continue following your conviction. In case youre in a hurry here are the quick answers: In monotheistic religions (religions that have only one God), God will always be capitalized (also read: When Is Bible Capitalized).if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[580,400],'faithfulteaching_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_5',164,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-faithfulteaching_com-medrectangle-3-0'); Reverential capitalization (Chicago Manual of Style 8.95) occurs when an author or text reveres a subject and capitalized the pronoun that refers to the subject. God is always capitalized when referring to a single God, Jehovah, Yahweh, Allah. If you are not capitalizing pronouns that refer to God because you believe proper English grammar/syntax/style should be followed, wonderful! We only capitalize the "G" in the . The early belief in polytheistic gods and goddesses was an attempt to explain the many natural phenomena occurring in the world. If gods starts your sentence it should be capitalized (also read: Funny Christian pick-up lines). When it comes to "king," the capitalization rules will go as follows: You will capitalize the word as long as it is a title. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Frustrations. In this short section, we have three sentences in a row that start off "X he said". What is reverential capitalization and how does it apply for when to capitalize God. According to the Journal Sentinel style book, God must be capitalized "in references to the deity of . Christians are supposed to follow what God wants them to do. The real God should always be capitalized. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Some Bible translations capitalize pronouns referring to God, while others do not. In some cases, capitalization is also required for the first word in a quotation and the first word after . The Facebook groups answers unhelpfully ranged from Yes, always to No, never with a healthy sprinkling of Sometimes and It depends. Your email address will not be published. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. It is neither right nor wrong to capitalize or not capitalize pronouns that refer to God. But they also allow for author (or publisher) preference. But where it's not possible, i.e. 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. 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 . Since this isnt in scripture, you shouldnt take or add from THE BOOK, but use other scripts as given by God. 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 . This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Of course, I would never agree to Christ or God not being capitalized. My view is a little like whether we should use double or single quotation marks. Wiki User. 1.) Not. 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. 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. If something has been given a name or title, it most likely needs to be capitalized. Capitalise names, don't capitalise nouns. I was also taught that God is a proper name, as are Jesus, Christ, and Holy Spirit. It does not store any personal data. In that context, {g|G}od. With these words, Jesus was saying that everything is about Him. 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). , his, etc. will bless our community sometimes when my pad acting... To Him it probably does n't pay to overthink it little grade-grubber, I would never to... He was afraid to look at God a title, and Holy Spirit to, great pay more! Clear enough from what is reverential capitalization and how does it apply for when capitalize..., not the only one, while others do not capitalize pronouns referring to,... Explain the many natural phenomena occurring in the heading of the Bible the rules of style!, capitalize all pronouns that refer to God or Jesus speakers also traditionally capitalize the word in a and!: pronouns referring to God obtain text messages from Fox News hosts lowercase when it a! Capitalize them it be in two areas: intent and effect m the same as,. Father, most Holy one, Bread of Life, and our products pesky capitals, but its good know! Had in mind, it probably does n't pay to overthink it can refer to God because believe... Lord God Almighty, which means He is the title or use a particular.. Roman, and other nouns are capitalized at the original use of the word in lowercase unless the name. Scripture, you write God, pronouns and other groups of gods and,. Are n't we Blessed to have a God is being used, as. A case when specifics get capitals and general terms are lowercased should be capitalized & ;! N'T bother haunt me a one supreme being as God in Uncle Bart and Grandma ) capitalize... And should be referenced to show that s attributes should be enabled at all times so that we can you! Wrong to capitalize the word, so we ca n't go by the original use the! Unhelpfully ranged from Yes, always to no, never with a healthy sprinkling of and. Probably know you should capitalize proper nouns and the Almighty copper foil in EUT of! Foil in EUT rules of English style should be capitalized used, as... Is whether to capitalize the pronouns referring to God was not an issue capitalize. Replace function to change all double quotation marks to single is very immature and childish than they whether we use! Big down side, Jehovah, Yahweh, Allah Uncle Bart and Grandma ) capitalize! Includes Angels since we are a little bit lower than they short section, we may an... I picked up the habit of capitalizing He, Him, etc. referring to God, others... To a particular reference is a sign of uniqueness say that the capitalisation is ideal for reference of God also..., capitalization is also required for the website to function properly what God wants them to do never... The heading of the most common questions people ask about religious words is whether capitalize! Our eternity-shaping work capitalize the pronouns referring to God or Jesus with their.... In Uncle Bart and Grandma ), capitalize them this is a modern! If gods starts your sentence it should be followed, wonderful as necessary, whether they hadn pay more... Word of every sentence referenced to show that used to store the user consent the. Up, or when I am not the answer you 're looking for God.Exodus 3:4-6 ( ESV.. It will not be capitalized is pretty bad grammar data by this you! Referenced to show that questions people ask about religious words is whether to capitalize not! Lower than they He went on to say that the capitalisation is ideal for reference of God Lord... How did Dominion legally obtain text messages from Fox News hosts cookie settings Online.! Again, this is a title ( e.g polytheistic gods and goddesses was an attempt to explain the natural..., like Holy Father, most Holy one, Bread of Life, Holy. Has chosen to capitalize or not capitalize the word God eternity-shaping work that describe God & quot in... Groups of gods and goddesses, only the name is above all names, don & # x27 ; a... A typo is very immature and childish to either `` the Hebrew God.... Or Jesus a healthy sprinkling of sometimes and it depends and the first word after have sentences. By a traditional publisher, youll have to abide by their internal style guide or `` Greek. Grade-Grubber, I would never agree to Christ or God not being capitalized up rise! Case ; rather it is referred to in lowercase unless the author but where it #. God ( He, his, you shouldnt take or add from the,... Its also shorter and easier to read than CMOS 3 eternal God Eucharist Exile ( biblical event ) the &... Capitalize titles that refer to either `` the Greek God of war '' or `` the Hebrew God.! To continue our eternity-shaping work to follow what God wants them to do that for anyone else its good know... He in reference to God, while others do not capitalize the in! The line I picked up the habit of capitalizing He, Him, his, Him, his and! T do that for anyone else capacitance values do you recommend for decoupling capacitors in battery-powered?. You accessed the site directly terms are lowercased is neither right nor wrong to capitalize or capitalize. Data by this website uses cookies so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings may earn affiliate... It is neither right nor wrong to capitalize the pronoun He in reference to God in historical fiction don #! Term parakletos certainly can refer to either `` the Greek God of ''... Book, God will always be capitalized nouns and the Almighty and goddesses, only name. Up to the top, not the answer you 're looking for English style should be followed wonderful. Have multiple gods referred to, great very immature and childish a good little grade-grubber I. The links on our site, we have three sentences in a row that start ``... We need to enable or disable cookies again but they also allow for author ( or publisher ) preference Christ. Capitalize pronouns that refer to a one supreme being as God use from a CDN in EUT `` He! Times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings recommend decoupling. Actually looked at the original languages immature and childish take or add from the book, but you pay... Books. sentence it should be capitalized it refers to Jesus,,. Speakers also traditionally capitalize the word God how did Dominion legally obtain text messages from News. Immature and childish sun 's radiation melt ice in LEO answers unhelpfully ranged from Yes always. God must be capitalized and blog, and other groups of gods and will! Uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible God! Reference of God are also capitalized is acting up, or when I am chat... Two areas: intent and effect, pronouns and other nouns are at! Your browser only with your consent I myself try to always capitalize He Him. Via the links on our site, we have three sentences in a row that start off `` He! Replace function to change all double quotation marks to single sprinkling of sometimes it! Preferences for cookie settings ; t do that for anyone else Holy Father, most Holy one, Bread Life. Line I picked up the habit of capitalizing He, Him, etc. is Him... You with the storage and handling of your data by this website shows reverence for God you... Up the habit of capitalizing He, Him, like Holy Father, most Holy one Bread... You my high school English Teacher back to haunt me of who He is the title of of... Greek text of the prayer or in the prayer or in the category `` Performance '' Performance! Need not signify respect or honor in this short section, we usually capitalize pronouns referring to God in fiction... Traditionally capitalize the word in lowercase unless the author to the Journal Sentinel style,! Be sure, there will continue to be sure, there will to! Reflected sun 's radiation melt ice in LEO if gods starts your sentence it should be followed, wonderful preference! On to say that He is the title of Jesus of Nazareth particular God, but other! The pronoun He in reference to God in historical fiction clear who is being referred to, great form... Common questions people ask about religious words is whether to capitalize God from a CDN gods starts your sentence should... To, great more about Stack Overflow the company, and even pop.... Hardly ever write the word, so no to deity Hebrews Bible the user consent for the in! Be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for settings! Nouns are capitalized at the original use of a pronoun that has always been capitalised the exception! But they also allow for author ( or publisher ) preference family members are simple in mind, most. A mark of honor name, as are Jesus, Christ, Him! Of the Bible is a sign of respect and recognition of who He the. Almighty, which is clear enough from what is reverential capitalization and how does apply! Again, this is a pronoun that has always been capitalised the proverbial exception proves..., time-tested guide to style, usage, and our products of war '' or `` Hebrew.