So which is it? Well, it depends on how it is used. Many people tend to want to capitalize the word “god” all the time; let’s look at the context.

Chicago Manual of Style says that “understanding is best served by capitalizing only what are clearly proper nouns and adjectives in the context under discussion.” So basically, when the word “god” is used, look at its context. Is god used as a proper noun? In other words, can you replace “god” with a proper name? Consider the following sentences:

“It is a simple matter of believing in God.”
“What does God say about that?”
“It appears that the gods are angry.”
“Which god do you believe in?”

In the first two examples, God is used a proper noun and you can easily insert a proper name in place of “God” and the sentence still makes sense. Also, it is apparent that the sentences are referring to one Supreme Being, and that always requires capitalization. In the third and fourth examples, “god” is used as a regular noun and cannot be replaced with a proper name; you can see that the god in reference is rather generic and not specified.

All names referring to God as a supreme being are capitalized.

the Almighty
the Lord
the Supreme Being
the Holy Spirit
Jehovah
Yahweh
Jesus
the Messiah

You would only capitalize a prophet’s name or an apostle’s name, but not the word “prophet” or “apostle.”

the prophet Isaiah
the apostle Paul
the apostles

In Christian writing, there are very few times when there is cause to use the lowercase “god.” I think it’s safe to say that if you are a Christian writer, you are typically only speaking of one God—the Lord God Almighty—and any reference to him is always capitalized. Of course, there is always room for discussion of other topics and other gods in Christian writing, and that is where we exercise the distinction between the gods. Consistency is key so make sure you follow through with consistent capitalization throughout the text. Please note that even the names of deities of other religions are capitalized such as, Allah.

I love Christian writing. It is always a joy for me to read. It is close to my heart and I often get some clarity, revelation, or confirmation about something in my own life. Anyway, I hope this helps answer some questions.

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Tags: Capitalize, Christian, Christian Publication, Christian Writing, God, Lord

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