To Capitalize or Not to Capitalize: Exploring the Deity Pronoun Question

by Lori Hatcher

Early in my publishing career, I noticed that some writers capitalized deity pronouns (pronouns referring to God) and some did not. Why? Which is correct? Should He and other pronouns be capitalized when referring to God? Let’s explore the question today.

A Sign of Reverence

Many think capitalizing the first letter, H in he, and in other pronouns like you, him, and his when referring to God shows reverence. This is an honorable motive, but English grammar uses capitalize letters to differentiate between a proper noun and a common noun. We capitalize Satan to acknowledge that Satan is a proper noun/name, certainly not to show him reverence.

Because the Bible Does It—Not!

Surprisingly, most translations, even the oldest ones, don’t capitalize deity pronouns. Most religious publishers have adopted the lowercase style to conform to the most commonly used versions of the Bible (the King James Version, the New International Version, the Revised Standard Version, and the English Standard Version). 

The translators’ goal is to avoid adding a layer of interpretation to the translation. They seek to accurately represent the original manuscripts, which do not mark divine pronouns (all Hebrew letters are the same height.)[1]  Currently, only the NKJV, NASB, and HCSB (but not the new CSB revision) capitalize the pronouns for God.

To Clarify 

Some capitalize to avoid confusion of antecedents in a closely written text (for instance, whether the text is referring to Jesus or one of his disciples). In most cases, a careful writer can make the reading clear by rearranging or rewording the sentence.

To Accurately Reflect Quotations

Because the capitalization of deity pronouns came into fashion in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century publishing, you may encounter a quote that capitalizes divine pronouns. If you use the quoted material, you must retain the original capitalization.

To Reflect the Bible Translation

If you quote from a Bible translation that uses uppercased deity pronouns, you must reproduce the verse or passage exactly as it is written. To change it, as with most other changes, would violate the copyright.

To Reflect Your Personal Preference

If you’re self-publishing your books, articles, blog posts, or devotions, you have the freedom to choose whether to uppercase or lowercase your deity pronouns. But you must be consistent. Pick one style and stick with it throughout the entire project. Waffling between the two will make your writing look amateurish, confuse your readers, and muddy your message.

To Reflect the Style Guide

As of this writing, no English style guide says to capitalize divine pronouns. Not The Chicago Manual of Style or even The Christian Manual of Style, the publishing guide most Christian publishers use.

To Follow Your Publisher’s Style Guide

While each publisher primarily follows the guidelines established in The Chicago Manual of Style and The Christian Manual of Style, they’re free to establish their own standards. Some publishing houses allow writers to choose their preference, as long as they use it consistently throughout, while others require across-the-board adherence to their style guide. If your preference or conviction conflicts with a publisher’s style guide, you may need to choose another publisher.

To Reach a Younger Audience

Because the capitalization of divine pronouns was the predominant style of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century publishers, using it can give a book a dated or Victorian feel. This could be off-putting to modern day readers who might otherwise gain great value from your book.

To Capitalize or Not to Capitalize?

I hope this journey into the whys and whats of deity pronoun capitalization has helped you think through your preference (if you have one) and better understand the question. Ultimately, you must weigh the information, seek God for wisdom (James 1:5), and decide how best to use your words (and the rules that guide them) for God’s glory. 

Your Turn

Now it’s your turn. Respecting that each writer must seek to do what they think is best in their writing, do you capitalize or lowercase divine pronouns? Why?

TWEETABLE

To Capitalize or Not to Capitalize: Exploring the Deity Pronoun Question from author Lori Hatcher on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

For Further Reading:

The Christian Manual of Style, pages 169–170

“Should We Capitalize Divine Pronouns? Monday with Mounce”

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[1] https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/should-we-capitalize-divine-pronouns-mondays-with-mounce-305

Lori Hatcher is a freelance editor, writing instructor, and author of six devotionals with Our Daily Bread Publishing. Her latest book, Think on These Things: 60 Thoughtful Devotions for Renewed Peace, released this month. Lori writes for Revive Our Hearts, Focus on the Family, The Upper Room, and Crosswalk.com. A frequent instructor at writers conferences around the country, Lori loves nothing better than helping other writers polish and perfect their craft. Connect with her at www.LoriHatcher.com.