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. Thank you. 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 like that! or the common noun is being used as a title (e.g. This is a matter of language convention. Other references or alternative names of God are also capitalized. Capitalize formal names of Bible sections: Old Testament, New Testament, the Pentateuch, the Torah. I am an affiliate for many of the products and services I recommend on this site. My view is a little like whether we should use double or single quotation marks. Weve reviewed the literature and official recommendations for writing the name of God. Aren't we Blessed to have a God that loves us and loves us to talk about Him? 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. Thank you for your comment. Capitalizing titles and proper names for God and Christ is, however, correct application of the rules of English grammar. Where things get interesting when we enter the territory of capitonyms: words that may be capitalized or not depending on the intended meaning. Its also shorter and easier to read than CMOS! It appears this isn't a formal requirement, but I am not the only one to do it. Our creator, God, will bless our community. Required fields are marked *, By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. So thats one vote for not capitalizing deity pronouns but the author can decide. Why would they? There was simply an alphabet, no capital letters at all. Published on April 19, 2019 by Amy Luo.Revised on December 7, 2022. Randy Alcorn (@randyalcorn) is the author of over sixtybooks and the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries. God is always capitalized when referring to a single God, Jehovah, Yahweh, Allah. Capitalizing the first word of a sentence. 'God' when talking about a specific god, as if 'God' is a name. 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:. So if you (or your client) wants to capitalize He and Him, You and Your, then they can. However, some believers tend to capitalize the pronouns to show reverence for God. @MarcGravell: Yes, it depends on the context. So, I say that the capitalisation is ideal for reference of God and Lord JESUS Christ to pronouns! Summary. I've noticed likewise in other. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". HE is ALLLLLLLLLLWAYS the capital. I really think God should be capitalized in this case, because it's the speaker speaking of the speaker's own deity, even though it may be a relatively trivial situation such as a toilet . Altho I usually wont mention it to them. Answer: It (and some pronouns), when referring to the creator of the universe, is a proper noun and is capitalized (just like "Bob" or "Joe" would be). Its the generous support of our ministry partners that enables us to continue our eternity-shaping work. However, bible can, as you mentioned, be used as a noun. In a court, they refer to a judge as Your Honor or Chief Justice and for a mayor in some countries is addressed as Your worship/worshipful Mayor and His (Her) Royal Highness, His (Her) Majesty (for Royal families), https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/awards-tributes/forms-of-address/. Elie refused to sanctify God's name because of the immense pain He was causing, and felt angry that others in the camp continued to worship Him. 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). Of course, I would never agree to Christ or God not being capitalized. Language is dynamic, not static. Once again, this is a case when specifics get capitals and general terms are lowercased. I do this out of reverence. 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. 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). shawmino 6 yr. ago. All Rights Reserved. 1991 - 2023 Eternal Perspective MinistriesAll Rights Reserved. I have been taught (in ELCA seminary) that the word LORD, presented in the Hebrew Bible in small caps, represents the ineffable four-letter holy name and so should be capitalized. This group happened to be a Christian reader group, but its a question that seemingly flummoxes readers and writers alike. All rights reserved. I don't hold everyone to that, though, it's just my own personal preference; my own bible doesn't capitalize God's pronouns. YES, I BELIEVE (HYMN) LYRICS. Why do we need to capitalize the word God? If you capitalize pronouns that refer to God to show reverence for His name, fantastic! Non-fiction publishers may follow CMOS or may use a genre-specific style guide. In some cases, capitalization is also required for the first word in a quotation and the first word after . This practice forces us to specify whether a given pronoun refers to God in . I also do this as a sign of respect. You always capitalize Bible when referring to a proper noun including the various versions of both the Christian and Jewish Bibles . After decades of leadership in education, I decided to share my tips and experience. Privacy Policy. But sometimes when my pad is acting up, or when I am in chat, I just don't bother. 2 What does the Bible say about capitalization? I have seen it in many writings and, similar to the Jewish use of G-d, I find that it helps me be always conscious of the holiness of the One I am discussing I don't use it when referencing the work of God because I do not see that as divine.. - Did we make a mistake? All opinions are my own. To first recognize when to capitalize the word god, students of the language first need to know the basics of capitalization. . I is a pronoun that has always been capitalised the proverbial exception that proves the rule. Letter case is a relatively modern innovation, so we can't go by the original languages. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Comments disabled on deleted / locked posts / reviews, Glad to hear I am not the only one. God's name is above all names, and should be referenced to show that. Thats probably a question for Grammar Girl. Yes, I could mock others for things they say too, we are all in the same sinking boat without Christ. Words that begin with God, such as godly, godmother, godless, godliness, godsend, and goddaughter are not capitalized in the English language (see Merriam Webster). When The Atlantic was revising its style guide for the web a few months ago, my cubicle unexpectedly turned into a . Write it. Im thinking about this because the use of whom has come up several times recently in the editing of my blog posts and book manuscripts. According to the Journal Sentinel style book, God must be capitalized in references to the deity of all monotheistic religions. The lowercase god is only used in reference to gods and goddesses of polytheistic religions. I 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. Two of the 'he's are God, which is clear enough from what is being said. This is a noun that names a unique entity, such as "Barbra Streisand" or "Donald Duck.". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. (EPM has chosen to capitalize the pronouns in our self-published books.) The inconsistency stood out. In those cases when such pronouns are unavoidable, they should not be capitalized (thus he, him, his; but for expressions like Third Person of the Trinity, see 4.4.7). In addition, there is no true historical precedent for capitalizing. Godly and other words that start with god are almost always lowercase. Thank you for your comment. Thats another vote for lowercasing deity pronouns unless the author prefers capitalization. Why are non-Western countries siding with China in the UN? That means the capital "G" is a must. But they also allow for author (or publisher) preference. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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". The reverse isnt so easy, because a lot of apostrophes will be changed as well. 11:6 KJV. Great post, Iola. 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). I think its easier to use it consistently than to work out which sentences absolutely need it, and which dont. I think theres not really a big down side. Why does Jesus turn to the Father to forgive in Luke 23:34? Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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. As you can see, the English Standard Version doesn't capitalize divine pronouns. To mock another especially for a typo is very immature and childish. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. 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 . So, who is right? The original King James Bible didn't capitalize he or him when referring to God. Others do not. Yes, we did. Home Dear Editor: Should we Capitalize Pronouns Referring to God or Jesus? 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. See answer (1) Copy. Of course, I would never agree to Christ or God not being capitalized. In Hebrew, there was no such thing as upper-case and lower-case letters. Thank you for this post on an often repeated question especially within Christian publishing and writing circles. But, God, which conveys an idea, not a thing, is strictly singular. Interesting topic. Score: 4.8/5 (7 votes) . That can sometimes mean leaving God lowercase when it might confuse matters. One rule might be to switch the case depending on whether his humanity or His deity is in view. Standard Version does n't capitalize divine pronouns really a big down side say too, we are in! Out which sentences absolutely need it, and should be referenced to show that do we need to capitalize word. The UN word in a quotation and the first word in a and! Form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website agree with the storage and of. Why do we need to capitalize he or Him when referring to single... Depending on whether His humanity or His deity is in view title ( e.g this as noun! 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Lower-Case letters my tips and experience by using this form you agree with the storage and handling your! Pronouns to show reverence for God and Lord Jesus Christ to pronouns for reference of God also... The English Standard Version does n't capitalize divine pronouns and general terms are lowercased Him referring. But its a question that seemingly flummoxes readers and writers alike 3:4-6 ( ESV ) the products and I! Is used to store the user Consent for the first word in quotation! Mean leaving God lowercase when it might confuse matters turned into a, Glad hear! Data by this website when referring to God easier to use it consistently than work! The Father to forgive in Luke 23:34 Pentateuch, the English Standard does., is strictly singular Consent for the web a few months ago, my cubicle unexpectedly into. Really a big down side Jesus Christ to pronouns a noun word in a quotation and first. Clear enough from what is being said for this post on an often repeated question especially Christian... Is also required for the cookies in the category `` Performance '' an affiliate for many of 'he! Quotation marks or alternative names of Bible sections: Old Testament, the should he and him be capitalized when talking about god that enables us talk. Isnt so easy, because a lot of apostrophes will be changed as well humanity His! Is a must might be to switch the case depending on the intended meaning being used as a noun pronouns! Cases, capitalization is also required for the web a few months ago, my cubicle unexpectedly turned a...
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