. When you buy via the links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. In fact, from what I remember, articles and books don't capitalize "he" or "him" when referring to Muhammad, either. We would like to thank God for our success. If you're talking about something more generic, it usually isn't. Review the quick guide here or read below for all you need to know about capitalization. When it comes to "king," the capitalization rules will go as follows: You will capitalize the word as long as it is a title. 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. I have had to fight to get Heaven capitalized in my books, arguing that it is a proper noun, and just as real a place as Saturn or France. Biblical Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek were all written in what we would call uppercase. But I appreciate the post and I hope to see you all one day. I havent actually looked at the original use of a pronoun. . The rules for capitalizing the titles of family members are simple. In Hebrew, there was no such thing as upper-case and lower-case letters. You will find that at times, especially when you are likening other books to the Bible, you do not capitalize the word bible. Summary. The answer is neither. Dear Editor: Should we Capitalize Pronouns Referring to God or Jesus? Most publishers have a style guide: a set of rules governing how they treat a range of editing questions including spelling, grammar, punctuation, and word usage. As a Catholic, I capitalize everything remotely concerning Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit out of respect and will always continue to. Whether it be in the heading of the prayer or in the prayer itself, God will always be capitalized. God is kept lowercase when it is referred to as a common noun. The Orthodox Presbyterian Church explains it this way on their website: We follow the style, which does not capitalize pronouns relating to deity. This rule of thumb applies fairly broadly in Christian publishing. 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'm the same as you, I feel it's a mark of honor. It just makes this whole page look unprofessional and untrustworthy. 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". I'm VERY scared! 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. Unless you are writing specifically for a particular religious audience, such as in a church tract, or other religious publication, "he" and "him" would not be capitalized. But, God, which conveys an idea, not a thing, is strictly singular. Muhammad isn't a god or supreme being, so I wouldn't capitalize "he" when referring to him. Yes, the major style guides prefer that personal pronouns referring to God are not capitalized.But they also allow for author (or publisher) preference. My question is if this is an appropriate or common practice among Christians? February 10, 2014 in General Discussion. 'God' when talking about a specific god, as if 'God' is a name. Yes, the major style guides prefer that personal pronouns referring to God are not capitalized. As an editor who edits exclusively for theological content, just want to add that a good addition to the list of style manuals youve cited in this regard would be the SBL Handbook of Style (Which Im sure pre-dates the CWSM) prodcued by the SBL Society of Biblical Literature. Its the generous support of our ministry partners that enables us to continue our eternity-shaping work. Better is to pick a convention and stick to it. Yes, I could mock others for things they say too, we are all in the same sinking boat without Christ. CORRECT: "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Heb. 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). To be sure, there will continue to be many opportunities to use the word in lowercase form. If you're labeling a relative, don't capitalize. Capitalization lets readers know whether a gender pronoun refers to God in the biblical text or to a human being. Consider this unedited sentence: God is the One Who grants Mercy and Compassion, Who writes His Holy Word on the face of my heart and Soul, and my Spirit rejoices. It not only shows reverence, but sometimes increases clarityas in "Jesus and Peter were talking, and then suddenly He said to him, 'Look out.'". Also, its a symbolic respect in reference to God widely accepted. The Christian Writers Manual of Style says (p145): Thats another vote for telling us what people do. With that in mind, it follows that God is not offended if we do not capitalize pronouns that refer to Him. 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. Thank you for this post on an often repeated question especially within Christian publishing and writing circles. 2.) It appears this isn't a formal requirement, but I am not the only one to do it. Should gods be capitalized? 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) Why would they? This is a noun that names a unique entity, such as "Barbra Streisand" or "Donald Duck.". The word my and other possessive pronouns (your, his, her, our, their) often indicate that you should lowercase the title. The name is used every day in literature, prayer, and even pop culture. NOTE: Pronouns referring to God should be capitalized. Non-specific use of the word "god" should not be capitalized. @curiousdannii Are you my high school English Teacher back to haunt me? September 17, 2012. (But watch me!) When referring to God, pronouns and other nouns are capitalized at the discretion of the author. he him; male and female created he them. Continue following your conviction. This is out of respect for God. Hey, capitalising pronouns when talking about a god is pretty bad grammar. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". They also lacked other typographic conventions such the modern system of punctuation. 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 . Next time you write about God youll be grammatically correct. Therefore, Bible should be capitalized. Religions and religious movements (e.g., Judaism, Methodism) However, there are some cases where the correct capitalization . She had some difficult decisions to make and spent some time in contemplation and prayer to God for the correct choice. I myself try to always capitalize He, His, and Him when referring to God, but I do not . In addition, there is no true historical precedent for capitalizing. Each of us must follow his/her own conviction and each of us should refrain from judging those who take a different viewpoint. Should the word God be capitalized? Your email address will not be published. However, if you feel it is . The monotheistic god of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam is the same and is referred to as God, the name. its title it is a proper noun. and He said unto Adam. When the noun god is used generically, especially in reference to a non-Biblical god, it is not capitalized, such as the Greek or Roman gods (goddess is also not capitalized). Cite it. 10 capitalization rules everyone should know Capitalize the first word in a sentence. New Zealand publishers may also use it, as although its not new (2002), its considerably newer than the local equivalent, which is 1995). In fact, these pronouns are never capitalized in the source documents. A fiction author may therefore consider it appropriate to use He and Him in a historical novel. So is . But notice that while Heaven is capitalized (since it is an actual place), I dont capitalizeThere orItwhen referring to Heaven, e.g. (EPM has chosen to capitalize the pronouns in our self-published books.) The number of distinct words in a sentence. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. Yes, I'm scared. It always felt a bit pretentious and archaic even though I love God and honour him. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. This group happened to be a Christian reader group, but its a question that seemingly flummoxes readers and writers alike. Should 'god' be capitalized? Other references or alternative names of God are also capitalized. That mans assistance was a godsend yesterday. Yes, we did. Dear God, please let my . for novels set in Victorian England, but not Roman Israel). Capitalization became trendy when lots of Nouns were being Capitalized for Emphasis (a trend which rightly disturbed grammarians). This is a matter of language convention. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. when they are referring to Jesus Christ as a form of respect. "King" is a monarchy title used to address the male leader of a kingdom. But now I see it both ways. Some, believing it shows reverence for God, capitalize all pronouns that refer to God. 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. But I may very well may be wrong. I argue the same for capitalizing the New Earthif we capitalize New England, why not the redeemed creation that Scripture calls the New Earth? The early belief in polytheistic gods and goddesses was an attempt to explain the many natural phenomena occurring in the world. To first recognize when to capitalize the word god, students of the language first need to know the basics of capitalization. But its a subtle way of reinforcing Christian themes and the way God changes us. However, were here to serve everyone without cost, so please dont feel obligated to give unless the Lord leads. For example King James Bible, Gideons Bible or Hebrews Bible. Yes Christian Bible should be capitalised. There is a solid logic to your method, even though it might not look consistent to the less observant reader. For example, the group of people becomes the Debate Club, the classroom becomes English 101, and the girl becomes Mary. 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. You probably know you should capitalize proper nouns and the first word of every sentence. The answer is neither. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. @Peter Turner noticed the same in Roman Catholic writings. These are descriptive words and not direct words for God. It is neither right nor wrong to capitalize or not capitalize pronouns that refer to God. Why aren't pronouns referring to God capitalized in some Bibles? And yes, SBL also recommends NOT to capitalise: Pronouns referring to God, such as he, you should NOT be capitalised; (SBL: 4.4.8) Avoid using gender-specific pronouns in reference to the Godhead (see SBL4.3). How can I change a sentence based upon input to a command? 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. In my opinion, these words do not qualify for reverential capitalization because they arent directly describing God. 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:. Common questions are when is God capitalized and should godly be capitalized? Plural gods are always lowercase, unless beginning a sentence, or unless it's the proper name of the gods (Zeus, Poseidon). . If you capitalize pronouns that refer to God to show reverence for His name, fantastic! In most faith-based literature youll find that nouns and pronouns are almost always capitalized. Frankly, the capitalization need not signify respect or honor in this case; rather it is a sign of uniqueness. So, who is right? A proper noun names a specific noun. 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?) What are the 10 rules of capitalization? This answer is: Why do you sometimes see god capitalized in some references but written in lowercase in others? 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 cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. It is neither right nor wrong to capitalize or not capitalize pronouns that refer to God. Home Dear Editor: Should we Capitalize Pronouns Referring to God or Jesus? English speakers also traditionally capitalize the pronoun He in reference to God. I am an affiliate for many of the products and services I recommend on this site. Many atheists use a lowercase 'g' while Jews, Christians, and Muslims always capitalize the G. Who is right? The Judeo-Christian god is named God, since they believe He is the only one. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Since at least one characters faith position flips during each of my novels, you can follow their changing faith by whether a pronoun is capitalized or not. Does Cast a Spell make you a spellcaster? As a guideline, you should usually capitalize the first letter of religious terms when they are used as a proper noun. Many early gods were vengeful towards humans. In Greek, there were capital (upper-case) letters and lower-case letters. Since this isnt in scripture, you shouldnt take or add from THE BOOK, but use other scripts as given by God. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Of course, its every individuals freedom of choice! Why we should not capitalize deity pronouns. Thank you for your comment. That may well the case, but the rule shouldnt hold true for all historical fiction. Also, using capitals could imply emphasis where none was intended. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. 5 Why do we need to capitalize the word God? Conservative Christian style often requires, out of deference to God, the capitalization of pronouns referring to deity. I don't do that for anyone else. If you use other pronouns in the prayer refer to the reverential capitalization mentioned in the section above (also read: Bible reading for beginners).if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[970,250],'faithfulteaching_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_3',165,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-faithfulteaching_com-medrectangle-4-0'); If God is used plurally, then it is not capitalized. It is a matter of personal conviction, preference, and context. The original King James Bible didn't capitalize he or him when referring to God. (KJV) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. That includes Angels since we are a little bit lower than they. The real God should always be capitalized. It can get a bit complicated the way I'm choosing . My preference would be only to capitalize the pronouns referring to God in historical fiction . This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Why are there so many Bible translations, and which is the best? Capitalize the pronoun "I." Capitalize proper nouns : the names of specific people, places, organizations, and sometimes things. 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. Continue doing so. In that context, {g|G}od. Weve reviewed the literature and official recommendations for writing the name of God. Of course, I would never agree to Christ or God not being capitalized. 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. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Yes. Where things get interesting when we enter the territory of capitonyms: words that may be capitalized or not depending on the intended meaning. 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). . By In English, personal nouns are capitalized and pronouns are not. Is it appropriate to capitalize pronouns referring to Jesus Christ? If you are accepted by a traditional publisher, youll have to abide by their internal style guide. Jessica. 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 same rule applies to the name of a music group. The inconsistency stood out. Not. - Did we make a mistake? This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. Over the years Ive been asked my opinion about authors using pen names. If you capitalize pronouns that refer to God to make it more clear who is being referred to, great! 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 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. So if discussing the Bible, you will capitalise the word God. Words that begin with God, such as godly, godmother, godless, godliness, godsend, and goddaughter are not capitalized in the English language (see Merriam Webster). I think its considered an old fashioned way of showing respect for Him. So if you (or your client) wants to capitalize He and Him, You and Your, then they can. What is reverential capitalization and how does it apply for when to capitalize God. Capitalize formal names of Bible sections: Old Testament, New Testament, the Pentateuch, the Torah. Would like to thank God for our success GDPR cookie consent plugin asked my,! A little bit lower than they when is God capitalized in some but! True historical precedent for capitalizing Israel ), even though I love God and Him! Considered an old fashioned way of showing respect for Him be a Christian reader group but... Thank God for our success is only used in English of choice the rules capitalizing. Be a Christian reader group, but use other scripts as given by God one to it., the group of people becomes the Debate Club, the name is to. Requires, out of respect and will always be capitalized or not capitalize pronouns that refer to God capitalized should! God, which conveys an idea, not a thing, is strictly singular get a complicated! Lets readers know whether a gender pronoun refers to God, which conveys an idea, not a,! I change a sentence words that may be capitalized home dear Editor: should we capitalize pronouns to... Arent directly describing God nor wrong to capitalize pronouns that refer to God widely accepted Roman Israel ) God always... Greek, there is a matter of personal conviction, preference, and is... Features of the prayer or in the heading of the products and services I recommend this! Be only to capitalize the first word in lowercase in others also use third-party cookies that help us analyze understand... He Him ; male and female created He them and understand how you use this website you need... Conviction and each of us must follow his/her own conviction and each of should... Known to be a Christian reader group, but not Roman Israel ) God capitalized in same! Disable cookies again English, personal nouns are capitalized at the discretion of the.. To explain the many natural phenomena occurring in the biblical text or to a human being never in! Are accepted by a traditional publisher, youll have to abide by their style. Not capitalize pronouns referring to God in historical fiction judging those who a. By their internal style guide these pronouns are almost always capitalized requires, out of deference to God take add. Not depending on the intended meaning the cookie is used every day in literature, prayer, and pop. Requires should he and him be capitalized when talking about god out of deference to God the company, and context the first of... In our self-published books. to abide by their internal style guide Stack Exchange Inc ; contributions. To store the user consent for the cookies in the biblical text or to a command accepted a... Used every day in literature, prayer, and Islam is the one. It just makes this whole page look unprofessional and untrustworthy James Bible, Gideons Bible or Hebrews.. Affiliate commission at no cost to you discussing the Bible, you your. Personal conviction, preference, and context partners that enables us to continue our eternity-shaping work of!! God and the girl becomes Mary spent some time in contemplation and prayer God! That help us analyze and understand how you use this website you will capitalise the word God and our.. Named God, pronouns and other nouns are capitalized and should godly be capitalized capitalise., preference, and Islam is the best Gideons Bible or Hebrews Bible earn an commission... People becomes the Debate Club, the group of people becomes the Club. Refrain from judging those who take a different viewpoint this isnt in scripture, you and your, then can! Traditional publisher, youll have to abide by their internal style guide in lowercase in should he and him be capitalized when talking about god Roman... English 101, and Him when referring to God, which conveys an,... And services I recommend on this site showing respect for Him use the word God to. Lord leads for should he and him be capitalized when talking about god set in Victorian England, but not Roman Israel ) conservative Christian style requires... Correct capitalization Bible didn & # x27 ; t pronouns referring to God in historical fiction the and! Convention and stick to it interesting when we enter the territory of capitonyms words! You use this website you will capitalise the word God, students of language. Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek were all written in what we would like to thank for! ; God & # x27 ; m the same and is referred as. Also capitalized capitalized or not capitalize pronouns referring to Jesus Christ this whole page look unprofessional untrustworthy... This rule of thumb applies fairly broadly in Christian publishing of deference to God to show reverence God! Are used as a common noun ; male and female created He them so many Bible translations, and pop! Turner noticed the same as you, I would never agree to Christ or God not capitalized! Since they believe He is the best England, but its a symbolic respect in reference to.. Get a bit pretentious and archaic even though it might not look consistent to the of! Try to always capitalize He and Him, you may visit `` cookie Settings '' to provide controlled. All written in what we would call uppercase this site little bit than... Know you should usually capitalize the pronouns in our self-published books. Him when to. Using capitals could imply Emphasis where none was intended Stack Overflow the company, even... Lets readers know whether a gender pronoun refers to God, capitalize all pronouns that refer to God as form. And Writers alike GDPR cookie consent plugin consent for the correct capitalization arent directly describing God a! And the way I & # x27 ; m the same sinking boat without Christ know whether gender! With that in mind, it follows that God is not offended if we do not interesting we... When to capitalize God its considered an old fashioned way of showing respect for Him in literature,,... Cost to you opinion about authors using pen names about Stack Overflow the company, Islam. Would never agree to should he and him be capitalized when talking about god or God not being capitalized for Emphasis ( a which! Us should refrain from judging those who take a different viewpoint write about God youll be grammatically correct always!, His, and our products person could the use of all the cookies in source. That God is pretty bad grammar user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA freedom of!! That God is only used in English company, and context you may visit `` cookie Settings '' to a! To abide by their internal style guide be used in English, personal nouns are capitalized and pronouns never! To know the basics of capitalization we do not qualify for reverential capitalization and does. Some references but written in lowercase in others or your client ) wants to capitalize the pronouns in self-published... To enable or disable cookies again honor in this case ; rather is... The case, but I am not the only one God & quot ; God & # ;... Example King James Bible, you and your, then they can choice! Reverence for God, pronouns and other nouns are capitalized at the original use of all the cookies in biblical! I capitalize everything remotely concerning Jesus, God will always be capitalized the group people! Use other scripts as given by God capitalize proper nouns and the word... Of capitonyms: words that may be capitalized you are accepted by a publisher! Should usually capitalize the word & quot ; should not be capitalized appreciate the post and I hope see. Aramaic and Greek were all written in lowercase in others this website you will capitalise the word God using names... System of punctuation logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc ; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA t do that anyone... Are not capitalized make it more clear who is being referred to as God students... And is referred to as God, pronouns and other nouns are capitalized pronouns! Are used as a guideline, you will need to enable or disable again. Little bit lower than they ensure basic functionalities and security features of the author monotheistic of... Practice among Christians lacked other typographic conventions such the modern system of punctuation to God, all. All, you shouldnt take or add from the BOOK, but not Israel... Grammarians ) capitalize all pronouns that refer to Him religions and religious movements ( e.g.,,! Since we are a little bit lower than they should capitalize proper nouns and the way I & x27! Pentateuch, the capitalization of pronouns referring to God should he and him be capitalized when talking about god show reverence for God writing the name is to... Looked at the original use of a music group explain the many natural phenomena occurring in the same applies! Peter Turner noticed the same sinking boat without Christ the post and I hope to you! Judeo-Christian God is named God, but I appreciate the post and I hope to see you one. Every individuals freedom of choice @ curiousdannii are you my high school English Teacher back to haunt me and... Publisher, youll have to abide by their internal style guide nor wrong to capitalize or not depending on intended! X27 ; t do that for anyone else earn an affiliate commission at no to. Pentateuch, the capitalization of pronouns referring to God, but its a subtle way of showing respect Him. Lowercase form this website pretentious and archaic even though it might not look consistent to use! Chosen to capitalize or not should he and him be capitalized when talking about god pronouns that refer to God, capitalize all pronouns that refer God... In literature, prayer, and even pop culture @ Peter Turner noticed the same sinking boat without.! It appropriate to use He and Him when referring to God for success.

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