Author: Tim Challies

I did not intend to watch House of David, but when a few people told me they were enjoying it and asked what I thought, I decided to give it a go. But before I discuss House of David, I want to talk about The Chosen. See AlsoCall The Sabbath A DelightBook Review – Call The Sabbath A DelightThe Passion of the Christ & The Second Commandment

There are certain emails I receive on a routine basis and an especially common one relates to pronouns. Thankfully it’s not asking me to define my own pronouns as is all the rage today, but rather asking me whether Christians ought to capitalize God’s pronouns. By way of explanation, when some Christians use a pronoun to refer to God, they capitalize it: “God tells us that He is holy.” Or “God is King, so worship before Him.” Other Christians simply use the same uncapitalized pronouns they would use in any other circumstance: “he” and “him.” Anyone who has written as much as a sentence about the Christian faith has had to decide which they will use. Christians who capitalize divine pronouns believe that capitalizing any word that refers to God is a sign of respect. For them, failing to capitalize the word is dishonoring to God. On the other hand, Christians who do not capitalize divine pronouns insist they are just following the conventions of the English language rather than crafting a new one. For them, there is no need to adapt the language. Which is biblical? Neither, really. The Bible does not speak to the issue and therefore we are free to do as we please and as convention and conscience direct. On the other hand, we are not free to hold up one option as intrinsically better or holier than the other. As for me, I do not capitalize pronouns that refer to God. Here’s my reasoning. The Bible doesn’t use them. The…See AlsoA Field Guide on Gender and SexualityShould We Exercise “Pronoun Hospitality?”Weekend A La Carte (April 27)