- Wiki-Formula, Are Nicknames Like Babe Capitalized? Hi, Jared. You never want to capitalize a kinship name when it follows someone's personal name or when it isn't being used to refer to a specific person. to learn more. These terms are therefore nicknames or sobriquets, as they refer to one specific person. Do not capitalize heaven, hell, the devil, satanic. Unless you're using them as part of a title or proper noun, those words don't usually need to be capitalized. Otherwise, though, you can pick the approach you think works best. Hi! I updated this article. At first glance, the rules of English capitalization seem simple. Or should that be Hell? Hi, Betty Lou. (Publishing a playbill for a play on the Passion of Christ.) If you're using a specific style guide or writing for a specific publication, you might want to check for further advice. Whatever you choose, you just need to make sure you continue to follow this consistently. Author Randy Alcorn capitalizes Heaven to emphasize an important truth to his readers, The English language is full of its subtle nuances, just like any other language is. is intentional discipleship capitalized in a church newsletter article? Everyone remembers her Please tell me is this is the proper way to write this sentence: Follower of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The term most commonly refers to Christian traditions. Thus, it would be wrong to say they need to be capitalized as standard. Use Sister or, if applicable, Mother before the name of a nun. The challenge is therefore to decide whether the term youre using is a nickname or a term of affection. You probably would never think to capitalize the common noun because you realize it isn't a name and only names are capitalized. You may or may not know the given name of these people, but you know who they are and why they are famous. They believe its not a place, like Vancouver, British Columbia, or the Mediterranean Sea, but a utopian mental state. I like to find out all I can about it. A character in my story is Padre McCaffery. Should I have it capitalized? Thanks! St. Peters Church, New Life Church, the Roman Catholic Church), but not when used more generally (the church as the people, the building, or a service). Gospel meaning good news is not capitalized. What about capitalization of the subject of God's (and Jesus', etc.) Is this overkill or respectful? Gospel: Whether to Capitalize Depends on Meaning, Examples: heaven, hell, paradise, garden of Eden, kingdom (Gods kingdom; kingdom of God). Do I capitalize Heavenly Father? As with the word "father", when you capitalize the word daddy really depends on how you use the word. All men and women are literally the sons and daughters of God. I do it consistently. Let's review proper and common nouns briefly to avoid confusion. After school on Monday, my father took me to my karate class. Should confirmation be capitalised such as "there was a confirmation service" ? 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. Among your examples, I'd suggest the only definite candidate is "Gospel of John," since that refers to a particular book of the Bible. Hi, Mary. However, you should never capitalize the word "father" when it's following a possessive pronoun (a word that substitutes for a noun and shows ownership e.g. Famous examples include Twiggy, Babe Ruth, Capability Brown, and the Iron Lady. Looking online, both capitalized and non-capitalized versions are used, so its really down to your own, or a style guides, preference. We can receive a sure testimony of . Write Tip | How to use Colons and Semicolons, Writing Tips | Tips for Writing Younger Characters, Book Review | Hook Your Readers by Tamar Sloan. Common nouns are the general names, while proper nouns are the . He asked the lord for grace. Do you capitalize department names? Gracie asked her mom Get the Facts. I know the crash was serious, Dad, but Id really like to borrow your car. Hi, Quinn. 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. Today, Im looking at some other common questions around capitalization: Capitalize brand names to be consistent with the brand trademark, i.e. But there is one exception: they are not capitalized when they follow possessive pronouns such asher, his, my, our, your. The Holy Ghost works in perfect unity with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, fulfilling several roles to help us live righteously and receive the blessings of the gospel. for her generous nature, Melinda said. Hi, Joanna. Through Jesus Christ, He created heaven and earth and all things in them (see Moses 2:1). If the passage is from the point of view of the character you mention (e.g., if it is narration from their POV or they're speaking and you want to show that they emphasize certain words), capitalizing "Heaven" and "Hell" for that character but not other characters might be a good way of setting them apart. Home Dear Editor | Should I Capitalize Nicknames or Brand Names or . Capitalize the names of major events in the life of Jesus Christ in references that do not use his name. It is a matter of personal conviction, preference, and context. Good suggestion! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. as the Word made flesh). 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. We do mention that some people prefer to capitalize "Heaven" and "Hell" when referring to the Christian afterlife, and it's fine if you prefer to do so. I disagree about non-capitalization of Heaven and Hell. Wondering about the sentence, We glorify your name, Most Holy!. A good rule to follow is to capitalize them if they are used as proper nouns, as in the previous example. However, as long as you capitalize these terms consistently when used alongside the names in question, it is ultimately a matter of preference. Ultimately, if you're not using a specific style guide, I'd say capitalizing could be helpful if you need to distinguish between "books" in general and books of the Bible (e.g., if, for some reason, you needed to clearly distinguish between the Book of John and a book belonging to someone called John). However, each publishing house will have its own style guide, as well. Even some versions of the Bible do not capitalize the pronouns for God. He was not Saved, until he read the Bible. Don't Capitalize Between Colons and Dependent Clauses Only capitalize the word after a colon if it starts an independent clause (complete sentence). And if you really want to capitalize those terms as a mark of respect for their liturgical significance (and there's no chance capitalization could lead to a lack of clarity for whatever reason), then feel free to do so. I'm going to lunch at Mc Donald's with my father on Saturday. 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. to learn more. The appearance of words in English-language Bibles is the result of decisions made by the steering committee for each respective translation, such as those for the NIV, NASB, NKJV, and ESV. He, Him, His) referring to the Christian God (God, Yahweh, Father, Jesus Christ, Jesus,. This way all your family get togethers will hopefully be free from mistakes and drama. Your thoughts? He "witnesses of the Father and the Son" ( 2 Nephi 31:18) and reveals and teaches "the truth of all things" ( Moroni 10:5 ). Finally, we have heaven and hell. But are their titles capitalized? Instead, we should simply choose to step back and take a look at how the word is functioning in the sentence. For instance, do you know the answer to the question, do you capitalize "father"? Do you have a question about how to style a particular word or phrase? But otherwise it's just a matter of preference! (referring elsewhere to a specific denomination or sect). For example: Second Corinthians 1:1 says, . But we'd suggest only capitalizing such words if it serves a specific purpose, like with the "Word of God" referring to Logos rather than our everyday definition of "word.". The answer? 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. The only time it is not capitalized is in the form of biblical. Thanks for your question theres no time limit! Would you capitalize the word "holy" or "Holy Secret" as in, "God revealed to me a holy secret" ? Neil1 Oct-22-2009. possession? I also review Christian novels at www.christianreads.blogspot.com. Keep reading to learn the answers to these questions and others. The Bible teaches believers to anticipate heaven with hope and joy. Usually you don't capitalize after a colon, but there are exceptions. Is the person being directly addressed? The key is that whichever you choose, make sure you use it consistently. The simplest rule here is to make sure that you always capitalize a person's first and last names. He is the one who''? Do not routinely use father or pastor before a name, but capitalize this description before a name in a quote. It depends. nuns Capitalize Sister, or Mother if applicable, before a name: Sister Agnes Rita in all references if the nun uses only a religious name . 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. Required fields are marked *. I need all the help I can get! Overview. Either is acceptable, as long as you are consistent. We'd be happy to help with the proofreading either way! Should we Capitalize Pronouns Referring to God or Jesus? For example, Heaven is an eternal state of blessing, sinlessness, and salvation. Examples: The Holy Spirit comforts me; He brings peace into my life. For priests, use the Rev. What if I'm writing a Christian character who would usually capitalize heaven, and they refer to it while talking. . A utopian mental state, for example, isn't an actual place, so there is no place-name to capitalize. I feel for Melindas loss, said the neighbor. For example: Common noun: I went to the mall with my cousin, Jenny. Thank you for your answer above. Can I go to the mall once I finish my homework, Mom? By James Taiwo. "city" is a real place just like heaven is, but it is not a proper noun. . This is why you should always check to see if you could sensibly insert your father's real name in the sentence and if you can, then the word father would need to be capitalized. Apply it consistently throughout your writing. Funny Toasts For Every Occasion (That Will Actually Get Laughs), Students Vs. Students: A Lesson On The Differences. Quick Answer - Chambazone.com, Five Reasons to Enter a Writing Contest (and Five Contests to Enter). To my mind, they are proper nouns (i.e., they refer to a specific biblical convenant, which is a unique, singular thing). 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. Hi, Anna. Some Christians capitalize Heaven to make a theological point to their readers that its a real place. God loves His children; He loves us with an everlasting love! Should you capitalize the word Order when referring to a religious organization like, "The Order encourages prayer.". Everyone remembers her. If the name is a religious name, use the title and name together in all references. This is true even when referring to the Christian concepts of "heaven" and "hell." Take Matthew 5:18 from the NIV Bible, for instance: Using my affiliate links means I get a small payment, but you wont pay any more than if you accessed the site directly. Which of these styles do you use most in your everyday life? So, it seems logical to accord Jesus the same courtesy as you would his heavenly father and capitalize Him, while Mohammed was just a man and his pronoun should remain uncapitalized. 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. I feel for Melindas loss, said the neighbor. Should it be capitalised when used by itself as a shortened way to refer to the kingdom of God or not? Present vs Present: Which One Is The Correct One? 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. It is common, for example, to capitalize pronouns when referring to God, so you might want to opt for "Holy God, we praise Thy name." Examples are: I Am One with the Goodness, Guidance, Peace, Prosperity and Abundance of God. Father went shopping). Many people will read through a book and be confused by why the word "dad" or "father" is capitalized in some places but not in others. Are brand names, Christian terms, nicknames, or terms relating to racial or ethnic identity capitalized? As long as you stick with one or the other usage consistently throughout your piece of writing, then thats fine. Birds fly south in the winter. 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. Organization names are capitalized when written in full, although we dont capitalize the articles, prepositions, and conjunctions. Child should be lowercase, even when its referring to Jesus. The names of seasons need not be capitalized. Should Saved be capitalized? The conventional rule would be only to capitalize "Sister" when it functions as part of a proper noun (e.g., in the name of an order of nuns, like you mention, or before the name of a specific nun such as "Sister Mary" or similar). Good luck with the style guide either way, and let us know if you need anyone to proofread it! You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings. How about saying the word Godly. Thanks for any help! Hi, Gigi. Would appreciate guidance on the rule of capitalization of child when referencing a child of God or should it be a Child of God? Do I capitalize Heavenly Father? Grammarly helps you communicate confidently You also wouldn't think of writing a name in lower case since we know that names are always capitalized. on first reference before the name. Glad this article and thread are helpful! I guess now I am wondering about "the body and blood of Christ"Would "body" and "blood" be capitalized? Copyright 2022 - TheContentAuthority.com, Inspiron vs Xps: Common Misconceptions and Accurate Usage, Cardioversion vs Ablation: Meaning And Differences. We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. 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. Go ask your father if you can go out with Joyce Saturday night. . Learn the Truth. Family member titles are also capitalized when used immediatelybefore a family members name: I invited Uncle Chet to the baseball game. When terms denoting family relationships are used as proper nouns (as names), they are capitalized. But AP style tends to recommend capitalizing terms related to scripture, so this would likely mean capitalizing "Book" when referring to the Bible as well (e.g., "In the Book of Psalms"). For example: Titles are capitalized when referred to in full. Hi Lyn. My father went shopping. For example: A title used alone may be capitalized when used in direct address. When using the terms "Sister", "Postulants", and "Novices" as an Eligible Individual in a Health Plan Document, are they considered proper nouns? Ex: "Christ is the only and ultimate judge". . Hi, Michele! In the OT the NIV uses both "Name" and "name" often when God is speaking or referenced. I provide professional freelance manuscript assessment, copyediting and proofreading services for writers of Christian fiction and non-fiction books, stories and articles. 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). xxvi (footnote) [2] Source[3] Source[4] Source. Thanks! Hi, Jeremy. 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. Such examples include "the Lord", "the Father" and "the Creator". Use the surname on subsequent references. As noted in this post, the only things you should always capitalize are proper names (e.g., words that refer to a unique person, deity, or thing, such as "God," "Bible" and the names of books of the Bible, names of festivals like "Passover," names of people and places). Write with Grammarly. capitalize bible. 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. As with any writing technique, capitalization for irony or emphasis can become tedious to read if used too often: My suggestion is to capitalize no more than two terms for emphasis. He's going to have a talk with Father.) Capitalize north, east, south, west only when they come at the beginning of a sentence or refer to specific geographical locations. Instead, the title is being used as a proper noun similar to other respectful titles such as Miss, Doctor, Captain, or Professor. Or when referring to Jesus' death, should it be "the cross" or "the Cross"? Or even if referring to musical compositions in general rather than one particular piece? Hi, Janelle. his, her, their). Nouns refer to people, places, or things. "Requiem" is mostly used in a religious context (i.e. You wouldn't usually capitalize "end times" as a generic description, but you might if you were naming a specific, identifiable time that is conventionally capitalized in a certain religion (e.g., like you would capitalize "Second Coming" or "Last Judgment" because they are established parts of the Christian apocalypse prophecy). Please see his About page for details. - Matthew. 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? Heaven is the great desire of all Christians. But if you do, let your editor know which terms you've chosen to capitalize. Generally, translation committees follow the conventional rules of English spelling and grammar. Were happy to answer questions any time. "Christened" is a verb, so it would only be capitalized at the start of a sentence. Looking online, it seems that "the Apostle John" and "the apostle John" are both fairly common (although "John the Apostle" seems to be the most common proper name). A man came asking for Sister Mary Eunice. This is known as reverential capitalization. Well, before you do that, check out our guide to capitalizing religious terms. Sister Mary Eunice insisted she did not know the man. As with most cases of reverential capitalization, this is largely a matter of preference. I'm finding a lot of inconsistency even within Bible translations for certain terms, particularly the Gospel vs. the Gospels or the Gospel of John; Epistle(s), the Word of God, This is the word Aside from preference, which of these should be capitalized? Learn why people even ask the question. There is room for flexibility here in some cases, though. If you'd like an expert to proofread it, though, we can certainly help with that (just leave a comment noting the issue with capitalization when you upload it): https://proofed.com/proofreading-services/. Ultimately, it comes down to clarity and consistency. Capitalize pronouns (except relative pronouns) that refer to God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. However, someone might be described as looking like Twiggy, or acting like the Iron Lady. Patricks Day? It would be best to check your style guide if you have one and also make sure this capitalization is used consistently throughout. 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. The Content Authority is where you will find great content, written by amazing writers, around topics like grammar, writing, publishing, and marketing. I also capitalize the New Earth, just as I would New England. Hi, Brandy. Thanks for your question and Im glad youre finding this helpful. Your email address will not be published. You should capitalize family member titles when addressing your own relatives: hello, Mother. Hi, Jacob! (13) How much more shall your heavenly Father. Is the word "Book" capitalized? Hi, Ishfaq. If that's the title of the song, you might want to capitalize the first letter of every word (i.e., Holy God, We Praise Thy Name). Chicago Manual of Style leaves it open to the writer. Capitalize the title before a name. Knowing when to properly capitalize something in the English language can be tricky, especially when it comes to family members. Writing, grammar, and communication tips for your inbox. When the word daddy is used as a direct address or as a proper noun (as a name), then you should capitalize it. "Confirmation" is a common noun even in a religious context, so you would only usually capitalize it at the start of a sentence. For example, The doctrines of the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, and the Ascension are central to the Christian faith. The word book is usually lowercased, and the words gospel and epistle are usually capitalized.". 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. Capitalize other words in line with dictionary usage. One question remains: assuming reverential capitalization is being used, are possessive pronouns supposed to follow suite? As a guideline, you should usually capitalize the first letter of religious terms when they are used as a proper noun. Hi, Sheri. I don't think you'd need to capitalize it unless there are other kingdoms you need to distinguish it from (e.g., you're also discussing some of the various biblical kingdoms in the same document). 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. A utopian mental state, for example, isnt an actual place, so there is no place-name to capitalize. Hi, Debbie. Let me know by commenting below! Would you capitalize the word our when it is written with Our Savior? You only use disambiguators like "my" or "a" with common nouns ("my dad", but not "my Dad" just like you wouldn't say "my John . If Heaven is a place, and thats communicated in part through capitalizing the term, why doesnt the Bible do it? This was super clear and very useful! Examples include Brangelina (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie) and Bennifer (Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez). If you were writing a prayer, and said "God, we thank you for.", would you capitalize you? The capitalization of Heaven is, in fact, one of the few areas where evangelical Christians and the LGBT+ community truly see eye to eye. Many people capitalize the "Holy" in terms like "the Holy Spirit" and "the Holy Bible," and while "Holy God" seems less common, this is ultimately a matter of preference (unless you or your organisation has a style guide you're following, in which case it might have guidelines on capitalization you can use). Likewise, we would capitalize the M in Mass if we were talking about the religious ceremony. We also see it in other places where it's less recognizable. This falls under the "Holy Pronouns" section of the post: i.e., you can use reverential capitalization if you like (or if you're using a style guide that recommends doing so), but it isn't compulsory. It can also be traced back to late Old English where it means "one who exercises parental care over another. I was reading through the Book of John; or, Hi, Maria. Is It St. There's typically no need to capitalize those types of terms unless they're proper nouns in themselves. 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. The phrase child of God would be lowercase as well. And they are functioning as proper nouns (i.e., naming unique things), so there's an argument for capitalizing them on that count. But most of them agree on the following styles below. However, when the terms are used as common nouns (not as names), they're not capitalized. In the examples above, Mom, Dad, and Grandma are capitalized because they are being used like names. If you introduce the full phrase as "Kingdom of God/kingdom of God," then shortening to just "Kingdom/kingdom" should be fine as long as the context makes it clear they refer to the same thing (and you use the same capitalization style for the full term and shortened version).