For example: Second Corinthians 1:1 says, . Examples: My/Our God. If youre writing a speculative fiction story set in a society with only one male, then his mother might call him Son as he would be unique in that setting. Capitalize the names of major events in the life of Jesus Christ in references that do not use his name. Either is acceptable, as long as you are consistent. The Content Authority is where you will find great content, written by amazing writers, around topics like grammar, writing, publishing, and marketing. Thank you for posting! Capitalization Rules: The Do's and Don'ts of Uppercase This would fall under the general category of reverential capitalization, but there are no universal rules for this. But the word "name" in "Jesus's name" is being used in the same way we'd use it to discuss any person's name, so capitalizing that term would be less helpful (and could even be confusing). President Abraham Lincoln, but the president. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Hi, I'm assuming you might capitalize the word "faith" when it is a stand-in for a specific sect, as in "He was baptized in the Faith." Would you capitalize the word our when it is written with Our Savior? . Avoid unnecessary capitalization. For example: A title used alone may be capitalized when used in direct address. Your email address will not be published. A good rule to follow is to capitalize them if they are used as proper nouns, as in the previous example. It should be our Savior., Hello Christi, Go ask your father if you can go out with Joyce Saturday night. Let's review proper and common nouns briefly to avoid confusion. Generally, there will be a possessive adjective (my, her, his, our) or an article (the, a, an) in front of family titles used as common nouns. What About Capitalizing Pronouns Referring to God? 11 English Capitalization Rules: How, When, and Why Use the surname on subsequent references. This just becomes tricky because you're using the same word in both circumstances but since we intuitively understand the rule here, we shouldn't let it grow foggier here. as the Word made flesh). Likewise, we would capitalize the M in Mass if we were talking about the religious ceremony. My father went shopping. Like godly wisdom, godly counsel, godly life. If "The Order" is the name (or part of the name) of the religious organization in question, then it is a proper noun and probably needs capitalizing. If youre learning English, youve probably noticed that it comes with quite a few rules As the old rule goes, a noun is a person, place, or thing. But did English has eight types of pronouns, and relative pronouns are one of them. Hi, Sheri. Proper noun: I went to the mall with Cousin Jenny. Is the word "Book" capitalized? There is room for flexibility here in some cases, though. For priests, use the Rev. When writing an academic paper, you may need to quote something youve read somewhere. Generally, translation committees follow the conventional rules of English spelling and grammar. Hi, Laura. Lowercase Most Derivatives Referring to God, (Whether Nouns or Adjectives), Capitalize these words: Christian, Christlike, God-fearing, Godlike, Godhead, Always Capitalize Bible and Gods Word, The Scripture says, Great is thy faithfulness!. Funny Toasts For Every Occasion (That Will Actually Get Laughs), Students Vs. Students: A Lesson On The Differences. A utopian mental state, for example, isnt an actual place, so there is no place-name to capitalize. I'm writing a book about earth-spirituality, the sacredness of Earth. Spiritual Style | Christi McGuire | Christi McGuire Alma said, "All things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that . I'm not sure there's a reason to capitalize "name" there if you're not capitalizing the other words, but I might just be missing something. Capitalize north, east, south, west only when they come at the beginning of a sentence or refer to specific geographical locations. In the rest of the Bible, sex is celebrated in proper Christianity FAQ exists to help people understand the Christian faith. then Exodus 33:19, "I will proclaim my name, the Lord", or I Kings 8:20, "I have built the temple for the Name of the Lord" and I Kings 8:33 "give praise to your name" plus Ezra 5:1 ,"in the name of the God of Israel" then Ezra 6:12, ""My God who has caused his Name to dwell there." The word "dad" should only be capitalized when it's being used as a name. Christian Editing participates in a range of affiliate advertising programs, includingthe Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Im hearing rumors that larger Christian publishing houses are strongly urging lowercase pronouns when referring to deity. We are going to spend eternity in another world Is it not natural that we should look and listen and try to find out who is already there and what is the route to take? This grammatical rule should look familiar to you. As mentioned above, you should always capitalize the first letter in a proper noun. But we would not usually capitalize the same word when using it as an adjective in mass market or mass transit. It pays, then, to double check whether religious terms have other uses. When to Capitalize Religious Terms | Proofed's Writing Tips In the past, it was common to capitalize the first letters of pronouns when referring to religious figures. A good rule is to capitalise Heaven and Hell when they are used as proper nouns (i.e. Thank you for posting. But you also (sometimes) capitalize the first word of a quote. Your thoughts? You can easily see that Dad is a proper noun if you switch in a name, as in I went fishing with Brian this morning. As we mention in the article, if youre using Catholic in a religious context, e.g., in reference to a persons religion or that followed by a household, then this is normally capitalized. God is the most prominent example of something we only capitalize in certain cases. we should all be ready for the coming of the Kingdom the Kingdom is at hand). You may or may not know the given name of these people, but you know who they are and why they are famous. But it is ultimately a matter of preference as long as you pick a clear and consistent style of capitalization. 28. Examples include Brangelina (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie) and Bennifer (Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez). For example, "in this Catholic house, we pray before our meals" or "under this Catholic roof, you abide by the rules". Usually you don't capitalize after a colon, but there are exceptions. This is especially true of its Proto-Germanic root (*fader) which was then translated into other languages. He was a pastor for 10 years. Most dictionaries only include basic Christian terms, which can leave Christian authors and editors scratching their heads when it comes to capitalizing terms referring to God. When the word daddy is used as a direct address or as a proper noun (as a name), then you should capitalize it. Unless you're using them as part of a title or proper noun, those words don't usually need to be capitalized. Is it only when you use these terms in a religious context? He is all-powerful and all-knowing, and He is full of love, mercy, charity, and compassion. God the Father - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Capitalization Rules-A Quick Guide | Grammarly Generally, there will be a. If I'm referring to a non-person after a religious description, would it be capitalized? You normally only need to capitalize words that are proper nouns. Should religious terms that have to do with doctrinal publications be capitalized such as Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Tribulation, & Post-Tribulation? For example would the event of the first sin be called "the fall" or "the Fall"? AP Style Religious References - Writing Explained 17 Oct. Matthew, NEW TESTAMENT. Thanks for your question theres no time limit! Instead, we should simply choose to step back and take a look at how the word is functioning in the sentence. We can receive a sure testimony of . Keep reading to learn the answers to these questions and others. Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox. But most of them agree on the following styles below. What if I am using the term "Christian" as an adjective, as in "John did it because of his Christian values?". But a quick google shows that some sources do use, e.g., "pre-tribulation" alongside "Great Tribulation," so there's room for variation here as long as your meaning is clear. Here are a few rules you'll want to make sure you remember: When you remember to follow these capitalization rules you can rest assured that you won't slight or improperly identify anyone who's in your common noun family. Even if a title isnt being used to directly address someone, it is always acting as a proper nounand should be capitalizedif it replaces a persons name. Skip the trap of making grammar errors for the world to see by reviewing these capitalization rules: 1. "Christian" is still capitalized as an adjective (most adjectives based on proper nouns are capitalized in English). Just make sure whatever you choose is used consistently. If you were writing an allegorical novel, then you may capitalize Son when referring to the Jesus figure. Present vs Present: Which One Is The Correct One? When using the word grace for praying over a meal, does one capitalize the g? Thus, if you're worried about the ambiguity of "sister" in parts of the story and it isn't clear which you mean from the context, it might make sense to capitalize "Sister" and "Sisters" when referring to nuns. However, there are many religious terms that have second meanings. Hi, Michele! Dear Editor | Should I Capitalize Nicknames or Brand Names or Do capitalize proper nouns. Hi, Quinn. In other words, capitalize words such as Mother, Father, Grandmother, Grandfather, Son, Daughter, and Sis when they are used in place of the persons name. Hi, Joanna. Love your Heavenly Father with your whole heart and soul, love every child of God as much as ever you can, and remember that the possibilities of good are greater than the possibilities of evil; and you have the key to Heaven. For example, my background is Welsh and English, and Im a New Zealander (colloquially, a Kiwi). However, the Chicago Manual of Style and Associated Pressnow both state that black is lowercase when referring to a color, but capitalized when referring to a person or people group who identify as Black. xxvi (footnote) [2] Source[3] Source[4] Source. Do You Capitalize Fields Of Study And Majors In College? This was super clear and very useful! But when referring to the "heaven about us" or the "heavens" as the atmosphere, it should not. Here are the guidelines in sections 8.111-113 of The Chicago Manual (15th ed. Hoping I'm making sense on some level. I've never done this, but it just came up and I couldn't say for sure. Why doesnt the Bible capitalize Heaven? It is not their perspective. However, it's not necessary according to most style guides (e.g., AP style suggests using lowercase, and Chicago style says only to capitalize these terms in religious publications). Always follow the style of the translation being used. Note that individual publishers will have their own style guide. However, as long as you capitalize these terms consistently when used alongside the names in question, it is ultimately a matter of preference. This is incredibly helpful! Hi, Kathryn. Should priest be capitalized? on first reference before the name. Should Heaven Be Capitalized? The Answer May Surprise You Most writers would capitalize "Scripture" if they were using it as a synonym for "Bible" (e.g., "As set out in the Holy Scripture" or similar). Print. Its also a state of being, but its not just a state of being. God is the Father of our spirits. Is It St. If you were writing a prayer, and said "God, we thank you for.", would you capitalize you? Hi, Dani! Grace (prayer) - Wikipedia Yes, you would. If you do, the reader might read more into the capitalization than intended. Christi, could you write an update to this article? Hi! We'd be happy to help with the proofreading either way! We will look at a few of these below. I have seen a niche Christian publisher with the same policy. When not to capitalize family member titles If used as common nouns, don't capitalize, as in: We honor all mothers in May. Home Dear Editor | Should I Capitalize Nicknames or Brand Names or . Your email address will not be published. As with the word "father", when you capitalize the word daddy really depends on how you use the word. My Agent Loved My Proposal. "Word" is a tricky one because it may be useful to capitalize to distinguish between the "Word of God" (i.e., as in the famous line from John 1:1, where it seems to be more of a proper name due to the use of the definite article) and any generic uses of "word" elsewhere. Learn to revise your novel in two weeks (even if you dont know where to start) so you can stop procrastinating, start revising, and reduce your editing costs. I am wondering about capitalization when referring to significant theological concepts or events. Thus, it would be wrong to say they need to be capitalized as standard. I'm going to dinner at Mario's with Father on Friday night. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Well, we are all going to emigrate in a very little while. The man I called Father throughout my whole life was the man who was married to my mother. The main thing is to make sure this is done consistently throughout the document. I believe that heaven exists. This is why the word "dad" or "father" is only capitalized when they're used to replace someone's name (proper nouns). I know this is an old thread and I don't know how long y'all maintain them for, but just in case: should names of church doctrines, like the priesthood of all believers, be capitalized, or in quotes, or something like that? generous nature., Go beyond words when generative AI comes to Grammarly, Grammarly helps you communicate confidently. Knowing when to properly capitalize something in the English language can be tricky, especially when it comes to family members. I don't capitalize it for the same reason I don't capitalize that I live in the city (Burlington) as opposed to the country. This way all your family get togethers will hopefully be free from mistakes and drama. Mozart's Requiem in D minor), and it would be standard to capitalize it in those cases. Generally, there will be a possessive adjective (my, her, his, our) or an article (the, a, an) in front of family titles used as common nouns. Capitalize pronouns (except relative pronouns) that refer to God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. 12 Expressive Quotes From LGBTQIA Authors On Their Experiences, when used as a title immediately before a persons name (, Instead, the title is being used as a proper noun similar to other respectful titles such as. However, if you do use reverential capitalization, there are two key rules to follow: You can apply reverential capitalization in other situations as well, but it is most common with pronouns. http://www.christimcguire.com/spiritual-style-updated/, 5 Tips for Preparing for Writers Conferences. Most style guides recommend the lowercase "godly," although some prefer to capitalize all words that start with "God," so either should be fine as long as you're consistent (and you're not using a style guide that specifies using "godly"). But it isn't necessary, and you'll need to be careful to use the capitalized versions consistently. If you were referring to the Christian deity, for instance, you would need to capitalize the G in God: But some words, like god, can be either proper or common nouns depending on how we use them. For instance, you wouldn't capitalize dad when you say something like, "I think my dad is fantastic" because dad is merely a word that's being used to describe a familial relationship. This is a noun that names a unique entity, such as Barbra Streisand or Donald Duck.. Hi, Tom. Hi, Beau. Examples given include "Genesis; the book of Genesis" and "Job; the book of Job.". God loves His children; He loves us with an everlasting love! Hi, Jodie. Today, Im looking at some other common questions around capitalization: Capitalize brand names to be consistent with the brand trademark, i.e. An Introduction to Relative Pronouns With Examples, How SubjectVerb Agreement Works With And/Or, Religions and religious movements (e.g., Judaism, Methodism), Religious figures and deities (e.g., Jesus, Zeus), Religious holidays (e.g., Easter, Diwali), Titles when used with a name (e.g., Reverend Green). Remember, to figure out when to capitalize the word "father", simply replace the word with his "real" name. The names of God are generally capitalized (e.g. The Word is capitalized when referring to the Word of God, Word of Life, Word of Truth, or when referring to Jesus (e.g. But you wouldn't capitalize the "M" in "Oh my God" or similar because "my" refers to the speaker, not the deity. When Christ died on the cross, He gave Himself for our sins. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Psu vs Auburn: How Are These Words Connected? You normally only need to capitalize proper nouns, but you can use reverential capitalization for sacred if you choose to. So if you were referring to gods and goddesses in general, or any god or goddess where god is not part of their name, you would need to use a lower case g instead: Prior to Christianization, the Anglo Saxons worshipped the Germanic gods and goddesses, including ostre, the goddess of the dawn and spring. When you're writing to your father and choose to call him daddy, then yes, you'll want to make sure you capitalize the word. But unless you're referring to the part of the church in question by a specific proper name (i.e., perhaps a church community has assigned a unique name to part of their church), there wouldn't usually be any need to capitalize any of those terms as they're all common nouns. He said it was because he didnt want to give the devil any honor (although thats not why we capitalize proper nouns). Should the phrase "end times" be capitalized, such as in end times prophecies? One thing you must learn is when words are to be capitalized. Ive been in Christian publishing for over 10 years, first as an editor at LifeWay Christian Resources, and now as a freelance contributor. Hi, Anna. Capitalizing Common Noun Names Of Relatives You also wouldn't think of writing a name in lower case since we know that names are always capitalized. If you're using a specific style guide or writing for a specific publication, you might want to check for further advice. or the common noun is being used as a title (e.g. He "witnesses of the Father and the Son" ( 2 Nephi 31:18) and reveals and teaches "the truth of all things" ( Moroni 10:5 ). There aren't any strict rules on this, since they're not "official" titles in the same way as a job title. God, who is most faithful, loves us unconditionally. Chancel, Narthex, Sanctuary, Nave, etcnot when used in vague and general architectural terms, but in referring to specific holy places within the church community as a matter of respect for their liturgical significance? Hebrews 11:8-10, By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. Gracie asked her mom But otherwise it's just a matter of preference! to learn more. to learn more. Heaven is both a place and a state of being. If the nun uses a surname, include the title on first reference. Everyone remembers her This comes under the category of reverential capitalization; you dont need to capitalize unless the word is a proper noun, but its your personal preference. For example: Father, do you want to go to the UFC fight tonight? I would suggest capitalizing them for clarity if necessary (e.g., if you need to distinguish between the Passion of Christ and "passion" more generally). . A character in my story is Padre McCaffery. An easy way to remember this rule is to consider whether or not you can replace the word dad with an actual name. Should all pronouns referring to God be capitalized? He is the one who''? Other believers dont capitalize the word, not necessarily because they dont believe its a real place, but because they are inclined to follow the words conventional spelling. I would add to Bible that it should be lowercase when the word is used not as Gods Word, but a definitive manual, as in, He wrote the bible on fishing. Ive also found that capitalizing deity pronouns is vastly different across the board. Queen Elizabeth, but the queen (or the Queen in the Commonwealth). his, her, their). Is Bible always capitalized? I know the crash was serious, Dad, but Id really like to borrow your car. However, that is where personal preference and context come in: e.g., you might want to capitalize "Gospels" if you're using the term as a unique collective name for the canonical gospels of the Bible, but it is also a common noun so you could just use it descriptively to refer to "the gospels of the Bible." We are created in His image. Its natural to want to give family members all the honorsafter all, in our lives, they are some of the most important people. Hi again, Jodie. Is Heaven a real place or just a spiritual state of awareness? "Please lord, he begged" or But are their titles capitalized? Stork vs Crane: Which One Is The Correct One? I would also like to subscribe to Christis: Copyright document.write(new Date().getFullYear()), Christy McGuire. But there is one exception: they are not capitalized when they follow possessive pronouns such asher, his, my, our, your. When writing about the Prophet Jeremiah or the Apostle John, should these titles before their names be capitalized? Hi. However, when the terms are used as common nouns (not as names), theyre not capitalized. Do not routinely use father or pastor before a name, but capitalize this description before a name in a quote. You could argue that any of your examples are proper nouns, particularly "Great Flood" and "Great Tribulation," where the usages seem very well established (e.g., capitalizing "Great Flood" helps to signal that you're referring to the Biblical event, not just to one of the many other large floods in history that have been described in such terms). Will it be on cap G or lowcase? What about terms like "Passion" (referring to the passion of Christ leading up to his crucifixion), or "Ascension"? "Sharing Time: I Am a Child of God" (January 2004 Liahona and Friend) Includes an activity to make a scripture box that includes scripture references to remind us that we are children of Heavenly Father. You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings. Author Randy Alcorn capitalizes Heaven to emphasize an important truth to his readers, To underscore the fact that Heaven and Hell are real places, I am deliberately capitalizing them throughout the book, as I would other proper nouns, such as Chicago, Nigeria, Europe, or Saturn. Are Mom, Dad, Uncle, Aunt, and Other Family Titles Capitalized? Thank you for your answer above. It is a matter of personal conviction, preference, and context. Does capitalizing Heaven have theological implications? Thanks. Terms referring to racial or ethnic identity are usually capitalized. One of the best resources is The Christian Writers Manual of Style by Robert Hudson (Zondervan, 2004). Why Is He Making Me Redo It? I'm going to lunch at Mc Donald's with my father on Saturday. When using reverential capitalization, should adjectives and nouns in reference to God follow suit? People will live forever with God and other believers because of the redemption that Jesus earned for them through his death and God created sex. For example: In that final example, capitalizing Son will be a subtle hint to readers that this character is the Jesus figure which is why its important not to capitalize son if its merely being used as a term of endearment. Or should that be Hell? Notice that we do, however, capitalize ostre in the example above, even though we use a lower case g for goddess. This is because ostre is the name of a goddess, so it is a proper noun. Robert Hudson spoke at PENCON (Christian editors annual conference) in May 2018, and he was incredible! The Word of the Lord, In Jesus' Name, etc. All opinions are my own. You probably know you should capitalize proper nouns and the first word of every sentence. Write with Grammarly. Ex: "Christ is the only and ultimate judge". Revelation 21:1-4, Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. But, again, there is no strict rule here and the context should make it clear enough in most cases (although I won't claim to know for sure there aren't ambiguous passages in the Bible on that count), so if you prefer to not capitalize this term, it should be fine. Hi, Alain. Sister Mary Eunice insisted she did not know the man. Should Saved be capitalized? (referring elsewhere to a specific denomination or sect). Autocorrect changes only to capitalized when I type God sent His only Son. Should only be capitalized? While this is true in almost every language known to humankind today, it's still important to not only know that it's there but to also know what to do about it. Or "the exodus" versus "the Exodus"?
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