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 . I think theres not really a big down side. I regularly find experienced English speakers using the word god incorrectly in their writing and misunderstanding the difference between a proper and common noun. They only used capital letters. For instance, one of the most revered translations, the KJV, does not capitalize them. You always capitalize Bible when referring to a proper noun including the various versions of both the Christian and Jewish Bibles . 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. Or sometimes: g-o-d. By Emma Green. Zondervan are owned by HarperCollins, who also publish the New King James Version, which also lowercases these deity pronouns. In fact, from what I remember, articles and books don't capitalize "he" or "him" when referring to Muhammad, either. With these words, Jesus was saying that everything is about Him. How was circumcision practiced in Jesus' time? Capitalization Rules in English | Quick Guide & Examples. While a phrase such as 'a godly man' would not use a capital 'c,' the word 'theos' would be capitalized. Would the reflected sun's radiation melt ice in LEO? I don't hold everyone to that, though, it's just my own personal preference; my own bible doesn't capitalize God's pronouns. When god is used with an article, that is usually an . One rule might be to switch the case depending on whether his humanity or His deity is in view. Should godly be capitalized? I never would have stopped doing it in my books if my publishers hadnt changed their policy. They also lacked other typographic conventions such the modern system of punctuation. The word my and other possessive pronouns (your, his, her, our, their) often indicate that you should lowercase the title. 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. 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. I agree, but its the publishers choice. Its the generous support of our ministry partners that enables us to continue our eternity-shaping work. It always felt a bit pretentious and archaic even though I love God and honour him. @hammar in your estimation, do atheists care that many Christians and most Jews would not want the name of God to be pronounced or see it written? 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! So, who is right? Yes, the major style guides prefer that personal pronouns referring to God are not capitalized. Common questions are when is God capitalized and should godly be capitalized? I've noticed likewise in other. 11:6 KJV. Also, its a symbolic respect in reference to God widely accepted. Write it. 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. 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. In phrases like for Gods sake, by God, and thank God, the word is capitalized because it generally refers to God of the Bible and treats the word as a name. As a broad generalization, CMOS is more commonly used for fiction, and AP is more common in journalism. This is used for academic theological writing (in conjunction with another guide like CMOS or Harts Rules). Is it appropriate to capitalize pronouns referring to Jesus Christ? I do find those who call my Lord with a small g a bit offensive. Not. We would like to thank God for our success. Not God. Frustrations. as in example? Over the years, questions have related to the writing in Hebrew and whether Gods name should ever be written. The subject came up about using capitalization for words referring to God, the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, the I Am, the Man Eternal and the Trinity. 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 . God is kept lowercase when it is referred to as a common noun. 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. I don't think there's a biblical or doctrinal mandate in any direction, for most. So, its a forced reaction. It only takes a minute to sign up. 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 . Hope this is a helpful addition. For example King James Bible, Gideons Bible or Hebrews Bible. All rights reserved. If youve been impacted by our resources, we invite you to make a year-end gift before December 31. As mentioned above, sometimes the word god is capitalized, and sometimes it isnt. Believers also capitalize . The NASB and NKJV do capitalize pronouns relating to deity (introducing something which is not in the Greek or Hebrew, I might add). Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Thats why we have style guides! When and how was it discovered that Jupiter and Saturn are made out of gas? 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 . 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. I continued to do it for years but it created inconsistencies since I would capitalize pronouns of deity, then quote Scripture that didnt. 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. 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. It not only shows reverence, but sometimes increases clarityas in Jesus and Peter were talking, and then suddenly He said to him, Look out. But where its not possible, i.e. I do this out of reverence. Randy Alcorn (@randyalcorn) is the author of over sixtybooks and the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries. Yes, I'm scared. You will find that at times, especially when you are likening other books to the Bible, you do not capitalize the word bible. Thanks again, Jason F. I thought it was odd and uncomfortable to capitalize a pronoun until I saw that the I in Internet is capitalized so now I capitalize pronouns referring to the Godhead in reverence to God. This question has recently been raised in one of the (many) Facebook groups Im a member of. But they also allow for author (or publisher) preference. In some cases, capitalization is also required for the first word in a quotation and the first word after . However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. The purpose is to respect the name of God and avoid writing it (the name is sacred and if its not written it cannot be destructed by man later). "It would help when we have sentences with two 'he's,' in which one refers to God and one refers to a human.". Thank you for this post on an often repeated question especially within Christian publishing and writing circles. God is kept lowercase when it is referred to as a common noun. In the original languages of the Bible, capitalizing pronouns referring to God was not an issue. Atheist, on the other hand, is derived from the word theos, which means 'god'. I apply a simple test in my Roman-era novels. In general, I try to use whatever the person I'm communicating with is using. I only promote those products and services I have personally investigated or used, and which I believe deliver value. Christianity Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for committed Christians, experts in Christianity and those interested in learning 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 . Also, using capitals could imply emphasis where none was intended. Great post, Iola. This still leaves it permissible in English and through typed word, although some people prefer not to write the name of God. Weve reviewed the literature and official recommendations for writing the name of 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. That mans assistance was a godsend yesterday. It might be worth pointing out that Zondervan publish the NIV. Thats probably a question for Grammar Girl. DarkScribe ( 15500) "Great Answer" ( 5 ) Flag as . are not capitalized, I am not nearly as bothered. Some Bibles do not capitalize certain pronouns because their translators felt that doing so was not an accurate translation of the original language. When referring to God should he be capitalized? It started feeling odd to capitalize the deity related pronouns in my latest work and I think your post and the comments have helped me. Likewise I always capitalize Christ, which is the title of Jesus of Nazareth. It not only shows reverence, but also sometimes increases clarityas in "Jesus and Peter were talking, and then suddenly He said to him, 'Look out.'". " 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 . Please spell and capitalize as shown below. If you're labeling a relative, don't capitalize. Why are items never in the same place twice?. referring to the Blessed Trinity has not been a widespread practice in Christian tradition. Aren't we Blessed to have a God that loves us and loves us to talk about Him? I was also taught that God is a proper name, as are Jesus, Christ, and Holy Spirit. But now I see it both ways. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". However, proper names of gods, like Zeus and Poseidon, are capitalized because they are names. 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 . If you capitalize pronouns that refer to God to show reverence for His name, fantastic! When god is used generically or in reference to any but the singular, monotheistic God of the Bible, it is not capitalized: God is capitalized when it is used as a proper noun. I understand that it is done out of some idea of respect, but personally, I think that for pronouns it is just bad grammar. [closed], from your pastor, priest, or other trustworthy counselor, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. AP/The Atlantic. With that in mind, it follows that God is not offended if we do not capitalize pronouns that refer to Him. The Facebook groups answers unhelpfully ranged from Yes, always to No, never with a healthy sprinkling of Sometimes and It depends. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. My preference would be only to capitalize the pronouns referring to God in historical fiction where capitalization was consistent with the time setting (e.g. But, God, which conveys an idea, not a thing, is strictly singular. The Chicago Manual of Style Online is the venerable, time-tested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. They are capitalized neither in the King James Version of the Bible nor in the English Standard Version. Jessica. However, if you feel it is . Wiki User. It is a matter of personal conviction, preference, and context. Better is to pick a convention and stick to it. Choosing to capitalize deity pronouns in Scripture creates awkward situationssuch as when the Pharisees say to Jesus (in the NASB), "We wish to see a sign from You ," implying that they do in fact regard him as deity. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! 3 eternal God Eucharist Exile (biblical event) Each of us must follow his/her own conviction and each of us should refrain from judging those who take a different viewpoint. he, him, his, you, your, etc.) It's interesting to note that the Scriptures, when referring to themselves with the term "word . ASM says (p127): Thats a non-answer. The number of distinct words in a sentence. Altho I usually wont mention it to them. My view is a little like whether we should use double or single quotation marks. I also do this as a sign of respect. Neither He nor he is incorrect but using He and he is definitely wrong. . Altho I usually wont mention it to them. By Plural gods are always lowercase, unless beginning a sentence, or unless it's the proper name of the gods (Zeus, Poseidon). Hebrew did not have capitals. I wrote a Christian book and am over half-way done with my second. I personally like to use it but I dont get huffy to those who do not. We can see that the exchange is a bit more clear if we use a translation that capitalizes "He": Exodus 3:4-6 (NASB) I myself try to always capitalize He, His, and Him when referring to God, but I do not . I dont like it. I can't say I have given the capital C used in creation . Referring to God as G-d is a recent occurrence in the United States. If the Bible is used in the secular context, it will not be capitalized (e.g. But rules are rules. The real God should always be capitalized. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. But I may very well may be wrong. Religions and religious movements (e.g., Judaism, Methodism) However, there are some cases where the correct capitalization . And I think youre right in that a lot of readers still expect to see He and Him.