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. In the past, it was common to capitalize the first letters of pronouns when referring to religious figures. I provide professional freelance manuscript assessment, copyediting and proofreading services for writers of Christian fiction and non-fiction books, stories and articles. I'm thinking it wouldn't otherwise be capitalized, as in "Catholic faith" or "She has faith." 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? The Content Authority is where you will find great content, written by amazing writers, around topics like grammar, writing, publishing, and marketing. Remember, to figure out when to capitalize the word "father", simply replace the word with his "real" name. I disagree about non-capitalization of Heaven and Hell. Or Dad, can I carry that heavy dumbbell for you? Everyone remembers her For example, "in this Catholic house, we pray before our meals" or "under this Catholic roof, you abide by the rules". They believe its not a place, like Vancouver, British Columbia, or the Mediterranean Sea, but a utopian mental state. 2 As a form of respect and less ambiguous reading between human and divine antecedents, all pronouns (i.e. Examples include Brangelina (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie) and Bennifer (Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez). The Word is capitalized when referring to the Word of God, Word of Life, Word of Truth, or when referring to Jesus (e.g. Helping Christian authors achieve their publishing goals, Dear Editor | Should I Capitalize Nicknames or Brand Names or . We will look at a few of these below. Hi, Geraldine. I looked up the word Requiem in the Webster dictionary and it was capitalized. Do you have a question about how to style a particular word or phrase? In other words, you should only capitalize the word "father" when it's being used in place of the person's real name. If you are using the word 'Father' or 'Dad' as a proper noun, then you should use a capital letter. I find this similar to the tribulation being referred to as the Great Tribulation. generous nature., Go beyond words when generative AI comes to Grammarly, Grammarly helps you communicate confidently. Its also a state of being, but its not just a state of being. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. If I were going to dwell in any place in this country, if I were going to make it my home, I would inquire about its climate, about the neighbors I would have about everything, in fact, that I could learn concerning it. Hi, Dani! However, if you're using the word to replace your father's name, then you would need to capitalize it. Common nouns are the general names, while proper nouns are the . For instance, do you know the answer to the question, do you capitalize "father"? To my mind, they are proper nouns (i.e., they refer to a specific biblical convenant, which is a unique, singular thing). (13) How much more shall your heavenly Father. You also wouldn't think of writing a name in lower case since we know that names are always capitalized. Gracie asked her mom 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). Thanks for your question theres no time limit! are capitalized because they are being used like names. She lives in the western part of the Old South. 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). Or even if referring to musical compositions in general rather than one particular piece? 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. This is quite unusual in modern writing. But if you do, let your editor know which terms you've chosen to capitalize. There are three things we need: a tent, a flashlight, and a map. if she could go to the mall after finishing her homework. Autocorrect changes only to capitalized when I type God sent His only Son. Should only be capitalized? Please tell me is this is the proper way to write this sentence: Follower of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I once worked with a client who didnt capitalize any term referring to the devil. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. ?-- 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 . a, an; a possessive pronoun a.k.a. The word book is usually lowercased, and the words gospel and epistle are usually capitalized.". Overview. 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. "Requiem" is mostly used in a religious context (i.e. For example, It can also be traced back to late Old English where it means "one who exercises parental care over another. Instead, the title is being used as a proper noun similar to other respectful titles such as Miss, Doctor, Captain, or Professor. But you wouldn't capitalize the "M" in "Oh my God" or similar because "my" refers to the speaker, not the deity. There is room for flexibility here in some cases, though. Is the word "Book" capitalized? Hi, Beau. 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). I am writing out personal affirmations that are affirming God's qualities which would make them adjectives and verbs which I think I understand you to say is not necessary to capitalize. - Wiki-Formula, Are Nicknames Like Babe Capitalized? Ultimately, then, it's a matter of preference. A utopian mental state, for example, isnt an actual place, so there is no place-name to capitalize. 26 votes Permalink Report Abuse. All men and women are literally the sons and daughters of God. generous nature., I feel for Melindas loss, said the neighbor. I'm trying to develop a style guide for consistency, and I lean toward not capitalizing. the Most High, but heavenly Father). Thank you for doing this site! Hi, Anna. When terms denoting family relationships are used as proper nouns (as names), they are capitalized. 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. We'd be happy to help with the proofreading either way! 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. (also known as deity pronouns). This scripture may be found in the Book of John or Book of Psalms. "Father" should also be capitalized in a title and when referring to god. Family member titles are capitalized when used as a title immediately before a persons name (I adore Aunt Lisa) or when the title is used in place of their name (Wheres the milk, Mom?). At first glance, the rules of English capitalization seem simple. Hi, Maria. God, who is most faithful, loves us unconditionally. Will it be on cap G or lowcase? 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. He is all-powerful and all-knowing, and He is full of love, mercy, charity, and compassion. This is another matter where there is stylistic variation, although this is at least one where there are sometimes concrete guidelines to follow if you're using a particular style guide. "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. I often refer to Spirit. Hi, Scott. If the nun uses a surname, include the title on first reference. For example: Second Corinthians 1:1 says, . #WriteTip #Grammar, Book Review | Blogging for Gods Glory by Benjamin Vrbicek and John Beeson, Is Aunt capitalized in a sentence? Hi, Kathryn. . Great advice here! Your email address will not be published. Using my affiliate links means I get a small payment, but you wont pay any more than if you accessed the site directly. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. If you're following a specific style guide, you might want to check that for advice as rules on capitalization can vary. The word Motheris a proper noun standing in for the mothers name. Oftentimes you'll see it both capitalized and in lowercase when you're writing to a friend and refer to their daddy. No, there's no need to capitalize "holy" there. Hi, Anthony. "Man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father, prior to coming upon the earth in a temporal [physical] body" (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith [1998 . Why do people capitalize the G in god? Why Is He Making Me Redo It? Throughout this article you have learned that this is a word that's capitalized only when it's used to replace someone's name (e.g. Also see Do You Have To Be Baptized Go To Heaven? Do you capitalize department names? You may or may not know the given name of these people, but you know who they are and why they are famous. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. We offer some general guidelines in this post, but there is plenty of scope for variation in creative writing. So, if you're referring to "my dad," you don't want to capitalize it. Or should you just say to heck with it and stop caring? For example: Father, do you want to go to the UFC fight tonight? Heaven is the great desire of all Christians. Here are the guidelines in sections 8.111-113 of The Chicago Manual (15th ed. You should capitalize family member titles when addressing your own relatives: hello, Mother. However, they should never be capitalized when they're only being used to describe a generic parental relationship, in which case you'd use their lowercase form. [3], References:[1] Heaven by Randy Alcorn, pg. Everyone remembers her Or, the Great Tribulation? The devil is usually lowercase, but his name is capitalized. 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. The word "father" should be capitalized whenever you're using it instead of a person's proper name. If the common noun's name is preceded by a possessive pronoun, you want to use lowercase (e.g. As a professor, he has taught Bible and theology courses at two Christian universities. I was surprised. 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). Go ask your father if you can go out with Joyce Saturday night. Apply it consistently throughout your writing. To ensure consistency, you may also want to have your writing proofread. Surely it is not wrong for us to think and talk about Heaven. Daniel's seminary degree is in Exegetical Theology. It depends. fall. . 17 Oct. Matthew, NEW TESTAMENT. Kim, 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. Looking online, both capitalized and non-capitalized versions are used, so its really down to your own, or a style guides, preference. 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. If there is a style guide that, for example, your publisher has asked you to follow, then its best to check there first. When using the terms "Sister", "Postulants", and "Novices" as an Eligible Individual in a Health Plan Document, are they considered proper nouns? had been up to. Queen Elizabeth, but the queen (or the Queen in the Commonwealth). This is known as reverential capitalization. May Vs. Might: Whats The Difference? They attended. As you know, we capitalize the first letter in a proper noun as a general grammar rule. Note that individual publishers will have their own style guide. So, I guess that's the western Christian answer. Glad this article and thread are helpful! When writing about religious sisters and referring to them indirectly, should 'sisters' be written with an upper or lower case letter? 1 0 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). If you can do so, then you should capitalize the word. It is a matter of personal conviction, preference, and context. Just check any style guides you may need to use first, and then make sure that you apply the capitalization consistently throughout the document. your text, so your work is extra polished wherever you write. Were Vs. Were: Were Here To Explain The Difference, Freshmen Or Freshman: When To Use Each One. his, her, their). This would fall under the general category of reverential capitalization, but there are no universal rules for this. Even some versions of the Bible do not capitalize the pronouns for God. What Bible verses indicate that Heaven is a real place? Also capitalize their variations mum, mama, mommy, mother, papa, pop, daddy, father, or any other words used to refer to one's parentswhenever you use them in direct address or in place of someone's name. A man came asking for Sister Mary Eunice. Gospel: Whether to Capitalize Depends on Meaning, Examples: heaven, hell, paradise, garden of Eden, kingdom (Gods kingdom; kingdom of God). In Old English it's traced back to the word fder which means "he who begets a child," the Supreme Being or the closest male relative. However, terms of affection or endearment are not capitalized. 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. Heaven and Hell Finally, we have heaven and hell. For example, Heaven is an eternal state of blessing, sinlessness, and salvation. If you want to capitalize "Lord" and "Savior" to clarify that they refer to Jesus, feel free, but since you name Jesus explicitly as well it would still be clear without the non-standard capitals. 1 0 Let me tell you how it seems to me that we come to know about our heavenly Father. The answer is neither. 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? 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. 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. Using capitalization for emphasis has the same issues as using. 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/. He's going to have a talk with his father.). READ: What does processing mean on YouTube upload?Do you capitalize faith? Such examples include "the Lord", "the Father" and "the Creator". 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. to learn more. 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). The English language is full of its subtle nuances, just like any other language is. Learn why people even ask the question. The Christian Writers Manual of Styleconsiders such names to be terms of affection: So when might a term of endearment become a nickname? . Should Law of Moses or Mosaic Law be capitalized as such? Keep reading to learn the answers to these questions and others. For example would the event of the first sin be called "the fall" or "the Fall"? Birds fly south in the winter. 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? Would appreciate guidance on the rule of capitalization of child when referencing a child of God or should it be a Child of God? 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). I'm going to dinner at Mario's with Father on Friday night. Special occasions the Olympic Games, the Cannes Film Festival Streets and roads Lowercase Reference List Here is a list of categories not capitalized unless an item contains a proper noun or proper adjective (or, sometimes, a trademark). Or "the exodus" versus "the Exodus"? 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. 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. Stork vs Crane: Which One Is The Correct One? Church is capitalized when part of a name (e.g. If I'm writing a book and in the context of the book. As mentioned above, you should always capitalize the first letter in a proper noun. Followers of Jesus Christ think about Heaven, talk about it, and write about it as well. Christians Must Do Away With Worry Passage: Matthew 6 Jesus instructed his followers to not worry about anything, but they should hav. Writing, grammar, and communication tips for your inbox. If I'm referring to a non-person after a religious description, would it be capitalized? Avoid unnecessary capitalization. Hi, Kellie. , but Id really like to borrow your car. Or when referring to Jesus' death, should it be "the cross" or "the Cross"? I was reading through the Book of John; or, 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"). - Matthew. Youre welcome! Print. . Lorraine wondered what her grandmother Don't Capitalize Between Colons and Dependent Clauses Only capitalize the word after a colon if it starts an independent clause (complete sentence). I asked my dad This is because when we use the word to refer to one supreme being, the word becomes a proper noun. However, as long as you capitalize these terms consistently when used alongside the names in question, it is ultimately a matter of preference. ETA. Which of these styles do you use most in your everyday life? Be sure to read the updated post here. Grammarly can check your spelling and save you from grammar and punctuation mistakes. This makes good sense. Capitalize the title before a name. 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. We also see it in other places where it's less recognizable. Can I go to the mall once I finish my homework. I also review Christian novels at www.christianreads.blogspot.com. 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). Why do some people insist on capitalizing Heaven? Learn the Truth. We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. Also, how about "the girl was catholic"would I capitalize or not? Finally, some nicknames are portmanteau terms, where parts of two names are combined into a single nickname that refers to a specific couple. There is some room for flexibility, though, in a creative writing context. Hi, Amy. Heaven is both a place and a state of being. Hi, Diane. Only apply it to pronouns that refer to deities and divine beings. You normally only need to capitalize proper nouns, but you can use reverential capitalization for sacred if you choose to. Or how about the flood that was not just any flood but THEE flood (sometimes referred to as the Great Flood) with Noah's family, his ark, & all the animals? 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. I would also like to subscribe to Christis: Copyright document.write(new Date().getFullYear()), Christy McGuire. So, for instance, you would say "We are here only by His grace," since the "He" in "His" is God. When I write: However, if you are addressing your dad directly, such as when . But it isn't necessary, and you'll need to be careful to use the capitalized versions consistently. Also see Do Short People Go To Heaven? You wouldn't capitalize heavenly and hellish though. 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. If the colon introduces a dependent clause or a list, don't capitalize after it. 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). Or would law of Moses and Mosaic law be better? This grammatical rule should look familiar to you. 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. What about terms like "Passion" (referring to the passion of Christ leading up to his crucifixion), or "Ascension"? 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?