Capitalize Names of Churches, Temples, and Religions
Capitalization
Rulebase Summary
Capitalize all specific and proper names for churches, temples, synagogues, and religions. The names of religious denominations, movements, and their adherents are proper nouns.
Examples
A. She is a member of trinity cathedral.
A. She is a member of Trinity Cathedral.
The specific name of a church or place of worship is capitalized.
A. He converted to buddhism in his twenties.
A. He converted to Buddhism in his twenties.
Names of religions and their adherents are always capitalized.
Transcript Notes
Capitalize the names of all religions and their followers (Zen Buddhism, Christianity, Episcopalian, Mormons).
Capitalize the names of religious buildings only when they are part of the proper noun (Temple Akiba, Holy Nativity Episcopal Church, King Fahad Mosque); use lowercase for generic references (a Jewish temple, an Episcopal church, the Islamic mosque).
Capitalize 'church' only when it is part of a proper name or refers to the entity itself (the Catholic Church opposes... — referring to the institution).
Style Guide References (4)
Morson's
BGGP
BGGP
BGGP