If the character believes in God and Jesus, then the answer is yes. Some Bible translations capitalize pronouns referring to God, while others do not. I believe inconsistency occurs when we go off course from its original plan. In phrases like for God's sake , by God, and thank God, the word is capitalized because it generally refers to the god of the Bible and treats the word . 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. Believers also capitalize pronouns (like he and him) when referring to God. Is it appropriate to capitalize pronouns referring to Jesus Christ? Or sometimes: g-o-d. By Emma Green. Reverential Capitalization. Other references or alternative names of God are also capitalized. (Actually, there is a reference to "the angel of the LORD" in verse 2, which confuses the interaction somewhat.) 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. His family was going through some hardships, and he asked his friend to pray to God for them. 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. But now I see it both ways. Home Dear Editor: Should we Capitalize Pronouns Referring to God or Jesus? I don't think there's a biblical or doctrinal mandate in any direction, for most. These are descriptive words and not direct words for God. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. So if you (or your client) wants to capitalize He and Him, You and Your, then they can. Acceptable comments policy for Christianity Stack Exchange. The real God should always be capitalized. Each of us must follow his/her own conviction and each of us should refrain from judging those who take a different viewpoint. So, who is right? I also review Christian novels at www.christianreads.blogspot.com. In Hebrew, there was no such thing as upper-case and lower-case letters. - Do you have feedback or suggestions on how we can improve? Capitalizing titles and proper names for God and Christ is, however, correct application of the rules of English grammar. . Dear God, please let my . [closed], from your pastor, priest, or other trustworthy counselor, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. Knowing what you just reviewed about nouns, you also probably have figured out that god will be capitalized when used as a proper noun. Why would they? At first glance, the rules of English capitalization seem simple. You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings. 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. Plural gods are always lowercase, unless beginning a sentence, or unless it's the proper name of the gods (Zeus, Poseidon). Fortunately, the rules of capitalization aren't all that complex. Weve reviewed the literature and official recommendations for writing the name of God. With that in mind, it follows that God is not offended if we do not capitalize pronouns that refer to Him. Randy Alcorn (@randyalcorn) is the author of over sixtybooks and the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries. And the term parakletos certainly can refer to a personas it refers to Jesus Christ . Should 'god' be capitalized? What does the Bible say about capitalization? Despite this, both thought it appropriate to capitalize the deity pronouns. If Holy precedes the Bible (Holy Bible), it is also capitalized.. Some Bibles do not capitalize certain pronouns because their translators felt that doing so was not an accurate translation of the original language. The Eight Capitalization Rules 1. Elie felt "terribly alone in a world without God, without man" and "without love or mercy". Its always changing, and thats why applying old rules to contemporary writing sometimes just doesnt resonate. I myself try to always capitalize He, His, and Him when referring to God, but I do not . In studying anthropology, she discovered that those who believed in God often had a more positive outlook on life. Does Cast a Spell make you a spellcaster? 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 . Summary. Thank you for your comment. I do capitalize Santa though. Your email address will not be published. He was with God in the beginning" ( John 1:1-2 ). Yes, the major style guides prefer that personal pronouns referring to God are not capitalized. I havent actually looked at the original use of a pronoun. So if you (or your client) wants to capitalize He and Him, You and Your, then they can. Find it. This is out of respect for God. Style manuals refer to pronouns such as He, His, Him, and Your when referring to God as deity pronouns. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". When interacting with atheists, I try to avoid capitalization unless it helps make my point clear. They are not capitalized in the Greek text of the Scriptures. If you capitalize pronouns that refer to God to make it more clear who is being referred to, great! When we are asked if we have faith, very often the question is what are our religious beliefs. 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). Surely there is an answer. I use capital H. Some versions of the bible use it. That can sometimes mean leaving God lowercase when it might confuse matters. 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 . Study now. When God inspired the human authors of Scripture to write His Word, He did not lead them to give any special attention to pronouns that refer to Him. If we go There or Without a doubt, It is a happy place! Only the actual word Heaven is capitalized, and industry standard is similar with pronouns referring to deity. Not God. Thats worth thinking aboutno one wants to their work to be considered dated or irrelevant. @Narnian it's about orthography, not grammar ;). By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. On our website and blog, and on social media, we usually capitalize pronouns referring to deity. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. Likewise if referring to the particular dev. There was simply an alphabet, no capital letters at all. So thats one vote for not capitalizing deity pronouns but the author can decide. Yes. I wrote a Christian book and am over half-way done with my second. It's the same for my church body. Atheism is the default position. 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. We dont want to know whats common or uncommon. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Next time you write about God youll be grammatically correct. CWMS points out that (despite popular belief) we dont capitalize as a way to show respect or honour. We would like to thank God for our success. Capitalization became trendy when lots of Nouns were being Capitalized for Emphasis (a trend which rightly disturbed grammarians). 'God' when talking about a specific god, as if 'God' is a name. If this ever confuses you, ask yourself if the noun takes a definite or indefinite article. God should be capitalized and sister shouldn't be. in my books with publishers, Ive gone with their policy. It is a matter of personal conviction, preference, and context. We can see that the exchange is a bit more clear if we use a translation that capitalizes "He": Exodus 3:4-6 (NASB) Summary. All rights reserved. Write Tip | How to use Colons and Semicolons, Writing Tips | Tips for Writing Younger Characters, Book Review | Hook Your Readers by Tamar Sloan. Others don't see it as necessary, whether they hadn . 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. Every noun is either a proper or common noun, and knowing which is classified as such is the difference between knowing which to capitalize and which to leave lowercase. Thats another vote for lowercasing deity pronouns unless the author prefers capitalization. are not capitalized, I am not nearly as bothered. God is capitalized when it is used as a proper noun. In the original languages of the Bible, capitalizing pronouns referring to God was not an issue. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Also, using capitals could imply emphasis where none was intended. I think theres not really a big down side. In English, yes. I like that! Being a good little grade-grubber, I changed my ways. DarkScribe ( 15500) "Great Answer" ( 5 ) Flag as . The answer is neither. This rule of thumb applies fairly broadly in Christian publishing. The primary purpose of case is to aid the reader, so different languages have different conventions. I told him he should rewrite the sentence. Thank you for your comment. 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. You capitalise words that are proper given names of individuals or places. 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. Published on April 19, 2019 by Amy Luo.Revised on December 7, 2022. Religions and religious movements (e.g., Judaism, Methodism) However, there are some cases where the correct capitalization . Two of the 'he's are God, which is clear enough from what is being said. Polytheistic religions have multiple gods referred to in lowercase unless the specific name of the god is being used, such as Zeus. God is kept lowercase when it is referred to as a common noun. (EPM has chosen to capitalize the pronouns in our self-published books.) But you also (sometimes) capitalize the first word of a quote. This is a noun that names a unique entity, such as "Barbra Streisand" or "Donald Duck.". It can get a bit complicated the way I'm choosing . This remains a common practice among people of faith, but it is by no means obligatory. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. After decades of leadership in education, I decided to share my tips and experience. Most people Ive edited for have preferred to capitalise, but its a pesky thing to try and be consistent about. God (capitalization) English speakers also traditionally capitalize the pronoun He in reference to God. If the Bible is used in the secular context, it will not be capitalized (e.g. If youve been impacted by our resources, we invite you to make a year-end gift before December 31. Light and Darkness, Sin and Forgiveness. You will find that at times, especially when you are likening other books to the Bible, you do not capitalize the word bible. This still leaves it permissible in English and through typed word, although some people prefer not to write the name of God. We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. Why is he or him not capitalized in the Bible? Ive wondered about this. In Greek, there were capital (upper-case) letters and lower-case letters. When you buy via the links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. The three major monotheistic world religions refer to a one supreme being as God. I was taught that we capitalize deity pronouns as a matter of respect and honour (dubious, as Ill show below). Christianity Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for committed Christians, experts in Christianity and those interested in learning more. I do think there are more important things to discuss. Of course, I would never agree to Christ or God not being capitalized. To be sure, there will continue to be many opportunities to use the word in lowercase form. Should godly be capitalized? I understand that it is done out of some idea of respect, but personally, I think that for pronouns it is just bad grammar. In Greek, there were capital (upper-case) letters and lower-case letters. 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) I agree, but its the publishers choice. We also refer to Him with pronouns and other words: He, It, Him, His. Should the word God be capitalized? . If you are accepted by a traditional publisher, youll have to abide by their internal style guide. I can't say I have given the capital C used in creation . @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. 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. The NASB and NKJV do capitalize pronouns relating to deity (introducing something which is not in the Greek or Hebrew, I might add). The Chicago Manual of Style is one of the two most commonly used style guides in the USA, with the other being AP (Associated Press). Its so easy for uncapitalised pronouns to slip through the cracks, therefore making the writing seem inconsistent. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. If we go There or It is a happy place! Only the actual word Heaven is capitalized, and industry standard is similar with pronouns referring to deity. "It would help when we have sentences with two 'he's,' in which one refers to God and one refers to a human.". Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Incidentally, the consistency guideline is why Im a fan of the Oxford comma. I never would have stopped doing it in my books if my publishers hadnt changed their policy. or the common noun is being used as a title (e.g. A common noun provides a generic name for a person, place, thing, or idea. The Chicago Manual of Style Online is the venerable, time-tested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. It is neither right nor wrong to capitalize or not capitalize pronouns that refer to God. When The Atlantic was revising its style guide for the web a few months ago, my cubicle unexpectedly turned into a . its title it is a proper noun. 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). 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. Frankly, the capitalization need not signify respect or honor in this case; rather it is a sign of uniqueness. *. as You. Updated on September 30, 2022 Grammar. 16 related questions found. AP/The Atlantic. Each reference to faith, no matter how secular, includes a reference to God or religion.
