Holy...

seun · Nov 2, 2008

...Cross.

(Haha. You thought I was going to swear, didn't you?)

If you wrote the term Holy Cross, would you capitalise it? Religion and all that goes with it isn't my area so I could do with some help.

Maryn · Nov 2, 2008

Context? For me, that's where the answer lies.

Maryn, who'll check back

seun · Nov 2, 2008

Could be. Hmm...maybe I need some churchin' up.

job · Nov 2, 2008

Hi Seun --

Chicago says ...
religious events, concepts and sacriments of major theological importance are often capitalized. Objects of religious use or significance are usually lowercased.

Thus,
the Exodus
Holy Communion
the Second Coming

but

stations of the cross
rosary
baptism
heaven
altar

So 'holy cross' or 'cross' would probably be uncapped.

That said, Chicago is notoriously, (and to my mind unreasonably,) anti caps. If you feel better with caps, use them and stet it in the final ms. Chicago needs to be challenged on these stupidities.

Bufty · Nov 2, 2008

Chicago is not fiction-orientated either.

dpaterso · Nov 2, 2008

I'd cap Holy Church but not holy cross. Unless this were somehow an object of especial religious significance like the Spear of Destiny.

-Derek

Joe Moore · Nov 2, 2008

I don't know if this helps but: Christ died on the cross. Some claim to have relics of the True Cross.

wordmonkey · Nov 2, 2008

My two cents - it depends on the character saying/thinking it. (Assuming we're talking fiction.)

The character is totally anti/irreligious, "holy cross."

Super religious, whether it's technically correct, they might have increased reverence and it'd be "Holy Cross."

I would say it depends on your character but that you CAN break the rules to emphasize a point. But then I WOULD say that, 'cos I sometimes do it.

Kalyke · Nov 2, 2008

There are actual rules for this: Here is one such link: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/stylemanual/2000/chap03.pdf

seun · Nov 3, 2008

Thanks for all the replies. I'm going to leave it uncapped. Capped gives the wrong idea I think.

Charlie Horse · Nov 3, 2008

To me, the guidelines in Chicago and most other authorities on style are pretty clear. Proper nouns are capped, all other nouns are not. Holy cross doesn't seem like a proper noun to me unless it was designated as a name for a specific item, i.e. The Holy Cross of Jehudiptugh, is on display at the National Museum of Hoboken.

(Ironically, this is my 666th post)

HeronW · Nov 3, 2008

If it's a proper name then 1st caps.

Smiling Ted · Nov 3, 2008

It's the Holy Cross.
It's a holy cross.

mrockwell · Nov 3, 2008

A lot of Catholic churches are named Holy Cross, so if I saw it capitalized, that's the first thing I'd think -- that you were referring to a specific church.

-- Marcy

seun · Nov 3, 2008

Smiling Ted said:
It's the Holy Cross.
It's a holy cross.

That's the idea I'm going for. It's an object in question rather than the Cross which I imagine is pretty important to a few people.

job · Nov 3, 2008

Bufty said:
Chicago is not fiction-orientated either.

Chicago is evil incarnate.

Well ... I have issues with Chicago.

Bartholomew · Nov 3, 2008

dpaterso said:
I'd cap Holy Church but not holy cross. Unless this were somehow an object of especial religious significance like the Spear of Destiny.

-Derek

He gets my agreement.

Holy...

seun

Horror Man

Maryn

I Tried

seun

Horror Man

job

In the end, it's just you and the manuscript

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

dpaterso

Also in our Discord and IRC chat channels

Joe Moore

wordmonkey

ook

Kalyke

seun

Horror Man

Charlie Horse

Speaking in metaphors

HeronW

Down Under Fan

Smiling Ted

Ah-HA!

mrockwell

Just another genre hack

seun

Horror Man

job

In the end, it's just you and the manuscript

Bartholomew

Comic guy