Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox. But it is ultimately a matter of preference as long as you pick a clear and consistent style of capitalization. By James Taiwo. Can I go to the mall once I finish my homework, Mom? Some Bible translations capitalize pronouns referring to God, while others do not. Should the phrase "end times" be capitalized, such as in end times prophecies? They can be "proper" or "common.". Christian Editing Services 2013-2023. #WriteTip #Grammar, Book Review | Blogging for Gods Glory by Benjamin Vrbicek and John Beeson, Is Aunt capitalized in a sentence? Yes, Bible is always capitalized, per CWMS. Hi again, Jodie. Is It Advance Notice Or Advanced Notice? Perhaps if you were using it to refer to a piece of music used to honor the dead in a non-Christian context? Concrete vs. Abstract Nouns Whats the Difference? 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. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. (ESV), Isaiah 65:17, For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. (ESV), Isaiah 66:22, For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the LORD, so shall your offspring and your name remain. (ESV), 2 Peter 3:13, But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (ESV). . So, for instance, you would say "We are here only by His grace," since the "He" in "His" is God. The challenge is therefore to decide whether the term youre using is a nickname or a term of affection. Do you capitalize department names? Can you think of examples where it has a non-religious usage? When not to capitalize family member titles If used as common nouns, don't capitalize, as in: We honor all mothers in May. As a rule, you do not need to capitalize these terms. Terms referring to racial or ethnic identity are usually capitalized. You wouldn't usually need to capitalize "grace," no. 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. ?-- We note a change here also, the one highest gift of the "Holy Spirit" taking the place of the wider and less definite "good things" in Matthew 7:11.The variation is significant, as belonging to a later stage of our Lord's teaching, and especially as spoken probably to some of the Seventy, who were thus taught to ask boldly for the Spirit . It depends. Print. My instinct is to capitalise it as one would for the Bible: Everlasting Gospel. Meeting the author of CWMS was like meeting a celebrity for us editors! Followers of Jesus Christ think about Heaven, talk about it, and write about it as well. All men and women are literally the sons and daughters of God. Thank you. If you are using the word 'Father' or 'Dad' as a proper noun, then you should use a capital letter. How to Use Religious Titles in AP Style | BKA Content What about the word scripture? Examples given include "Genesis; the book of Genesis" and "Job; the book of Job.". Is Heaven a real place or just a spiritual state of awareness? 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. God loves His children; He loves us with an everlasting love! Yes, you would. . It should be our Savior., Hello Christi, capitalize bible. Or would law of Moses and Mosaic law be better? Should 'Father' Be Spelled with a Capital F? - This Dad Does Finally, some nicknames are portmanteau terms, where parts of two names are combined into a single nickname that refers to a specific couple. God is the Supreme Being in whom we believe and whom we worship. God Is Our Father - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints In general, a word is considered a nickname if it refers to one specific person. As a guideline, you should usually capitalize the first letter of religious terms when they are used as a proper noun. You could replace them with proper names without changing the rest of the sentence. 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? But they aretheyre as real as the places we were born and the places we live now. [1]. 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. Capitalization Rules-A Quick Guide | Grammarly Let me know by commenting below! I know a lot of the larger houses are own by secular companies so I was curious how you see current changes. Are Mom, Dad, Uncle, Aunt, and Other Family Titles Capitalized? What about terms like "Passion" (referring to the passion of Christ leading up to his crucifixion), or "Ascension"? Hi, Sheri. In the examples above, Mom, Dad, and Grandma are capitalized because they are being used like names. What do you think of this? When writing about religious sisters and referring to them indirectly, should 'sisters' be written with an upper or lower case letter? 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. a character says the following, is lord capitalized or not? Helping Christian authors achieve their publishing goals, Dear Editor | Should I Capitalize Nicknames or Brand Names or . Looking online, both capitalized and non-capitalized versions are used, so its really down to your own, or a style guides, preference. Sister Mary Eunice insisted she did not know the man. The key is that whichever you choose, make sure you use it consistently. In the rest of the Bible, sex is celebrated in proper Christianity FAQ exists to help people understand the Christian faith. 1. They attended. When using the term "hell" as a slang - "hell if I know," - or curse, it should not be capitalized. Or when referring to Jesus' death, should it be "the cross" or "the Cross"? The English language is full of its subtle nuances, just like any other language is. 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. The main question that comes up around capitalizing Christian terms is Should we Capitalize Pronouns Referring to God or Jesus? Hope that helps! Lust Vs. Love: The Heart Of The Difference, Backward Or Backwards: A Foreword On The Difference, How To Express Condolences: Sympathy Cards And Messages, How To Use Figurative Language To Enhance Your Writing. I believe that heaven exists. 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. Whether you are a writer, editor, or you merely refer to religious and spiritual terms as a Christian, these following tips can serve as a helpful guide. 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). Nor, incidentally, would you need the comma before "until.". When to capitalize church? - Answers on questions 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. When terms denoting family relationships are used as proper nouns (as names), they are capitalized. The King James and New International Bibles both have a lowercase heaven and hell. Hi, Amy. I find this similar to the tribulation being referred to as the Great Tribulation. If your character was named Sonny, then Son would be capitalized because it is a shortened form of his proper name. I also capitalize the New Earth, just as I would New England. For example would the event of the first sin be called "the fall" or "the Fall"? Grammarly can check your spelling and save you from grammar and punctuation mistakes. 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. Some Christian theologians and teachers capitalize Heaven because that is normal when referring to a specific location when writing. For instance: Hopefully when you stop to think about this this small nuance now makes a whole lot of sense to you so you can use the word "father" correctly in your writing from now on. Likewise, we would capitalize the M in Mass if we were talking about the religious ceremony. 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. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. We can receive a sure testimony of . I only promote those products and services I have personally investigated or used, and which I believe deliver value. Should religious terms that have to do with doctrinal publications be capitalized such as Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Tribulation, & Post-Tribulation? 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. Grammarly helps you communicate confidently 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). On the other hand, "dad" is a common noun meaning "father" (anybody's). Such examples include "the Lord", "the Father" and "the Creator". In a religious context, proper nouns may include: However, there are some cases where the correct capitalization depends on how youre using a term. Ive worked in the Christian publishing industry a long time as well. 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. In a title, "dad" is capitalized. Good luck with the style guide either way, and let us know if you need anyone to proofread it! The answer to this question is actually quite simple: Proper nouns (a name used for an individual person, place, or organization) are always capitalized while common nouns (a noun denoting a class of objects) is never capitalized. He asked the lord for grace. Hi, Ishfaq. Your email address will not be published. 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, Alain. Hello :) What about ''the one'' in a context such as: ''God is here. had been up to. Thanks! For instance, it is fairly common to capitalize "Word" when discussing the "Word of God" as this often refers to a specific religious concept (i.e., the Logos), not just words as we use them in day-to-day speech. 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.