Hi! You should capitalize family member titles when addressing your own relatives: hello, Mother. to learn more. Correct: My dad is the best. The answer? ), Capitalize Adjectives That Are Part of Gods Name, Examples: Almighty God, Anointed One, Divine Savior, Good Shepherd, Great Physician, Heavenly Father, High Priest, Holy Father, Holy Spirit, Promised One, Sovereign Lord, Suffering Savior, Suffering Servant, Supreme Being, Wise Creator, Refer to the Holy Spirit as He, not It. "Christian" is still capitalized as an adjective (most adjectives based on proper nouns are capitalized in English). After school on Monday, Father took me to my karate class. 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. Your writing, at its best Nouns that are not proper names can also be capitalized out of reverence to the entity they refer to. The exception to this rule has typically been when discussing color: style guides such asThe Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) have historically advised writers to use lowercase for terms such as black, brown, and white (see CMOS 8.38). 1 0 Hi, Melody. If a family member is not being directly addressed, but rather is being spoken about, his or her family title should not be capitalized, and an article or possessive adjective should be used before the title. Hi, Scott. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. I was wondering if when referring to a book of the Bible, should the word book be capitalized along with the name of the book? Hi, Joanna. Examples: Lord, Almighty, Baby Jesus, Christ, Comforter, Counselor, Creator, Father, Godhead, Judge, King, Providence, Redeemer, Savior, Servant, Son, Sovereign, Trinity, Examples: friend, person, baby, child, boy, and man (Jesus is my friend. The story also refers to a number of sisters (from the same family), so I also want to distinguish between birth sisters and fellow nuns. You normally only need to capitalize words that are proper nouns. I also capitalize the New Earth, just as I would New England. 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. Is the person being directly addressed? Always follow the style of the translation being used. If youre referring to the concept found in the Protestant Church, this isnt normally capitalized or enclosed in quotation marks, but its worth checking if youre writing for a religious institution or using a particular style guide, as they may have their own preferences. As a rule, you do not need to capitalize these terms. 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. 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. Ive been in Christian publishing for over 10 years, first as an editor at LifeWay Christian Resources, and now as a freelance contributor. Ultimately, then, it's a matter of preference. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. For example, how do you know whether to capitalize godly since it refers to God? I thought that if you say the Scriptures, it will be capitalized, but what about "through the encouragement of scripture" is scripture capitalized in the latter case? 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). The Catholic priest was reading to his congregation from the book of Matthew. 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." Does capitalizing Heaven have theological implications? Do I Hire an Editor before Submitting to an Agent or Publisher? Examples are: I Am One with the Goodness, Guidance, Peace, Prosperity and Abundance of God. Hi, Geraldine. 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. So, I guess that's the western Christian answer. LOLOL! When using the term "hell" as a slang - "hell if I know," - or curse, it should not be capitalized. Some Bible translations capitalize pronouns referring to God, while others do not. Hi, Laura. 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." But when referring to the "heaven about us" or the "heavens" as the atmosphere, it should not. The King James and New International Bibles both have a lowercase heaven and hell. "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. This is true even when referring to the Christian concepts of "heaven" and "hell." Take Matthew 5:18 from the NIV Bible, for instance: Should religious terms that have to do with doctrinal publications be capitalized such as Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Tribulation, & Post-Tribulation? God is not only our Ruler and Creator; He is also our Heavenly Father. Capitalize other words in line with dictionary usage. Do I capitalize Heavenly Father? Hi, Debbie. - Wiki-Formula, Are Nicknames Like Babe Capitalized? Case closed. The main question that comes up around capitalizing Christian terms is Should we Capitalize Pronouns Referring to God or Jesus? We are created in His image. There are three things we need: a tent, a flashlight, and a map. Some Christian theologians and teachers capitalize Heaven because that is normal when referring to a specific location when writing. fall. If you (or your institutions style guide) have a preference for capitalizing "Name," then thats entirely your choice. I've never done this, but it just came up and I couldn't say for sure. When Christ died on the cross, He gave Himself for our sins. Its really personal choice as to which words you capitalize in this context, but as the adjectives youve listed relate to God, while its not necessary to capitalize them, you still can follow the reverential capitalization rule. God is the Supreme Being in whom we believe and whom we worship. The other languages that it was translated into include: In the same way that the word "father" is sometimes capitalized and at other times written in lowercase, so too are the words brother, sister, aunt, uncle, and other family members. As Most Holy is a form of address to a deity, Id say this would need to be capitalized, yes. Names of all races and nationalities. His, her, your, our, their) preceding the word. Autocorrect changes only to capitalized when I type God sent His only Son. Should only be capitalized? Some writers prefer to use reverential capitalization, as mentioned in the article and some of the comments here, as it helps to distinguish a religious usage from a non-religious one. Famous examples include Twiggy, Babe Ruth, Capability Brown, and the Iron Lady. as the Word made flesh). This is a matter of preference to some extent, but many people do capitalize significant religious events like "the Exodus" or "the Fall" to signify their importance and singularity (e.g., https://calvin.edu/offices-services/communications-marketing/tools-resources/editorial-style-guide/religious-terms.html). He's going to have a talk with his father.). Please advise. You should never capitalize a kinship name when you're using it to describe a personal name and it isn't part of that personal name itself. 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 answer is a resounding 'It depends'. Hi, Riley. Hi, Alain. There aren't any strict rules on this, since they're not "official" titles in the same way as a job title. your text, so your work is extra polished wherever you write. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Chicago Manual of Style leaves it open to the writer. Most writers know the basics of capitalization: we should always capitalize the first word in a sentence, and we also capitalize personal names, place names, and other proper nouns. None of those words would need capitalizing if used generically, but I'm guessing this is some kind of legal agreement based on your use of "eligible individual"? Gospel meaning first four books of the New Testament is lowercased, except when it is included in the name of the book. Usually you don't capitalize after a colon, but there are exceptions. If you come across a family title such as mom or dad in your writing, ask yourself: Is this title being used as if it were a persons name? Remember, to figure out when to capitalize the word "father", simply replace the word with his "real" name. I thought it to be respectful to capitalize those words but finding it hard to be consistent. As mentioned above, you should always capitalize the first letter in a proper noun. Should it be capitalised when used by itself as a shortened way to refer to the kingdom of God or not? Hi, Dani! The capitalization of Heaven is, in fact, one of the few areas where evangelical Christians and the LGBT+ community truly see eye to eye. generous nature., I feel for Melindas loss, said the neighbor. (Publishing a playbill for a play on the Passion of Christ.) As with the example above, body and blood dont need to be capitalized as they are not proper nouns, but its your preference; the main thing is to make sure you are consistent in whatever you choose. Lorraine wondered what her grandmother Note that individual publishers will have their own style guide. This means that if you're simply referring to fathers and not a specific father, then the word "father" shouldn't be capitalized. 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. The Bible teaches believers to anticipate heaven with hope and joy. 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. From my understanding of capitalizing of religious words, the keep it simple, if they refer to or are used in a religious context or are proper religious nouns, one would capitalize. There is some room for flexibility, though, in a creative writing context. God, who is most faithful, loves us unconditionally. They attended. In the past, it was common to capitalize the first letters of pronouns when referring to religious figures. LifeWay may style curriculum and resources differently than Zondervan or Thomas Nelson. For instance, "my teacher" (a common noun) vs. Mr. Huffington (a proper noun). Hi, Ishfaq. When using these terms to define the specific places, they should be capitalized as proper nouns just like a country or state. Robert Hudson spoke at PENCON (Christian editors annual conference) in May 2018, and he was incredible! 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). If it is just a lyric from the song and there isn't a lyric sheet available to see how the terms are usually capitalized, and you're not following a specific style guide, then it may just be a matter of preference. But otherwise it's just a matter of preference! I feel for Melindas loss, said the neighbor. Hi, Jeremy. Gospel: Whether to Capitalize Depends on Meaning, Examples: heaven, hell, paradise, garden of Eden, kingdom (Gods kingdom; kingdom of God). As a professor, he has taught Bible and theology courses at two Christian universities. on first reference before the name. Some traditions hold that grace and thanksgiving imparts a blessing which sanctifies the meal. For example: Exodus 23:21, "since my Name is in him." Thus, it would be wrong to say they need to be capitalized as standard. Christian Editing Services 2013-2023. his, her, their). for her generous nature, Melinda said. But it isn't necessary to capitalize it in other cases, and doing so might look slightly old-fashioned to some readers. The word Motheris a proper noun standing in for the mothers name. However, it may depend on how and where you are using these terms (e.g., the Society of Biblical Literature recommends only capitalizing "Law" when "the term refers to a division of the canon," which would make "law of Moses" and "Mosaic law" correct). There's room for flexibility here at least, as long as you use a consistent style of capitalization for similar usages of the word. Learn why people even ask the question. The official profile of the word faith . The Word is capitalized when referring to the Word of God, Word of Life, Word of Truth, or when referring to Jesus (e.g. Among your examples, I'd suggest the only definite candidate is "Gospel of John," since that refers to a particular book of the Bible. For example, the word Dad is capitalized in the sentence I went fishing with Dad this morning even though the speaker is not talking directly to their dad. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. Hi, Anna. Hi, Tammy. Hi, Marcia. For example would the event of the first sin be called "the fall" or "the Fall"? How Soon After Death Do You Go To Heaven? He's going to have a talk with Father.) Well, before you do that, check out our guide to capitalizing religious terms. Page 425 of The Christian Writers Manual of Style states: In references to books of the Bible, lowercase the word book, as in the book of Genesis, unless the version of the Bible being references capitalizes the entire phrase as a title, as does the KJV and some of its derivative translations. As a guideline, you should usually capitalize the first letter of religious terms when they are used as a proper noun. Ex: "Christ is the only and ultimate judge". We capitalize peoples names, so it makes sense that nicknames are also capitalized. Quick Answer - Chambazone.com, Five Reasons to Enter a Writing Contest (and Five Contests to Enter). This way all your family get togethers will hopefully be free from mistakes and drama. I believe that heaven exists. Usually this is something that you'll see happen when there is an article (a word that's used with a noun phrase a.k.a. Is the word "Book" capitalized? "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. Though it seems that all the style-guides and capitalisation advice available on the Internet agree that the word kingdom in the phrase kingdom of God should be lowercased, I can find no clear information on whether it should still be lowercased when used by itself as a shortened way to refer to the kingdom of God (e.g. Do You Capitalize Fields Of Study And Majors In College? The only time it is not capitalized is in the form of biblical. Like godly wisdom, godly counsel, godly life. if I could borrow his car the day after the crash. Generally, translation committees follow the conventional rules of English spelling and grammar. Examples I was just about to clean my room, Mom. Hi, Jacob! Examples include Brangelina (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie) and Bennifer (Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez). They can be "proper" or "common.". Or, the Great Tribulation? You wouldn't usually need to capitalize "grace," no. Daniel's seminary degree is in Exegetical Theology. The answer is neither. Should you capitalize the word Order when referring to a religious organization like, "The Order encourages prayer.". Thanks for any help! If you're using a specific style guide or writing for a specific publication, you might want to check for further advice. And that, at least, should be celebrated. Nouns refer to people, places, or things. The key is that whichever you choose, make sure you use it consistently. Everyone remembers her Gospel meaning good news is not capitalized. When using reverential capitalization, should adjectives and nouns in reference to God follow suit? If there is a style guide that, for example, your publisher has asked you to follow, then its best to check there first. Instead, we should simply choose to step back and take a look at how the word is functioning in the sentence. *. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. I expect that you'll find many people who do capitalize "End Times" on this basis, but you may want to check your style guide if you're using one. Grammarly can check your spelling and save you from grammar and punctuation mistakes. It is a matter of personal conviction, preference, and context. is intentional discipleship capitalized in a church newsletter article? Great advice here! Why do people capitalize the G in god? Rule: When you use the complete . If soon you were going to emigrate, that is the way you would feel. READ: What does processing mean on YouTube upload?Do you capitalize faith? Are brand names, Christian terms, nicknames, or terms relating to racial or ethnic identity capitalized? Home Dear Editor | Should I Capitalize Nicknames or Brand Names or . 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. It is a matter of personal conviction, preference, and context. In other words, capitalize words such as Mother, Father, Grandmother, Grandfather, Son, Daughter, and Sis when they are used in place of the person's name. 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). Neil1 Oct-22-2009. What is the rule used when icapitalisating in such cases? You might choose to do so as a form of reverential capitalization (see the section on pronouns in the post above), but that would be unusual in modern writing, and most style guides would advise against it. I updated this article. as the Word made flesh). No, there's no need to capitalize "holy" there.
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