Reader Question:
I noticed in your post about the power of short words in business writing, you capitalized “Bible.” Why?
Answer:
In that instance, I was referring to the Christian Bible, so it is a proper noun. Proper nouns are capitalized, just like London.
Additionally, works regarded as sacred should be capitalized (but do not quote, italicize, or underline). The Gregg Reference Manual provides good examples:
- the King James Bible
- the Qur’an
- the Talmud
- the Torah
- The Lord’s Prayer
- Hebrews 13:8
- Kaddish
- the Sermon on the Mount
Do not capitalize bible when the work it refers to is not sacred, or being used as a proper noun:
Example: The Business Writer’s Handbook is considered the bible of business writing.
