Capitalize Bible and Other Sacred Texts

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 the city 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Additionally, works regarded as sacred should be capitalized (but do not quote, italicize, or underline).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.

Correct Your Business Grammar Challenges in this webinar.