Question: Why is God's name printed in the 1986/1991 New American Bible as holy Spirit instead of Holy Spirit as His name is printed in every other Catholic Bible?

Even the 1970 version of the NAB print's His name as Holy Spirit. Besides all of the other textual critique of the New American Bible 1986/1991 which point out the flaws of this Bible, I find it irresponsible and sorrowful the persons responsible for allowing this version of the New Testament to be published and let alone sold and recommended highly by critics to dominate American Catholic's thinking and reading. Essentially, it disguises itself as a conditioning tool of some sort to honor not God's Holy Spirit. Prior to posting this question, I consulted several persons about an answer to it. After asking non-religious and religious including one associated with The Catholic Bibical Association of America located at the Catholic University of America, I arrived at the conclusion that America and the USCCB wants to undermine the Holy See slowly and surely. From the most authorative source of the answers I received, the person stated that normally with proper nouns adjectives remain uncapitalized. The given example was: the holy Father and holy God. After reading this response I looked in the MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S COLLIGATE DICTIONARY TENTH EDITION copyrighted 1993; this is two years after the fact of the latest NAB version. On page 554 it reads Holy Spirit and Holy Ghost along with Holy Father. For the record I'm a Roman Catholic who was born and has served in America; however, my love for God exceed anything. With all due respect I pray in Jesus Christ name for the change of this error which I hope our Church shall understand its consequences for its actions. Lastly, answer this question supportively and politely, please. Sincerely, Andy G.

-- Andy Greenwald (sarjudand@aol.com), December 25, 2002

Answers

Jmj

Hello, Andy.
I agree with your complaint about the failure to capitalize the "H" in "Holy" (before "Spirit"). This is, at best, a stupid innovation and, at worst, the latest effort in the desacralization of language in (English) Catholic texts. (Preceding this was the NAB's replacement of formal pronouns to refer to God, such as Thee, Thy, Thou, which are still used in the RSV-CE to show a special respect to the Blessed Trinity.)

In centuries of English-language texts, it has NEVER been appropriate to refer to "holy Spirit." According to written divine revelation, as reflected in the Bible, the most frequently used name of the third Person of the Trinity is "Holy Spirit." Most significantly, Jesus says that we are to baptize "in the name of Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Thus it makes no sense to make the "h" lower case. [There are some passages in which the Person is simply called "the Spirit" or "the Spirit of God."]

The Revised New Testament found in newer editions of the NAB was prepared mainly in the 1980s. One of the main contributors was an unreliable scholar (Fr. Francis Gignac) who has caused much harm as a professor and chairman of biblical studies at Catholic University of America for many years. I think that the NAB needs a second "revision" ASAP.

Merry Christmas.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), December 25, 2002.

If you were from England or Newfoundland you would know that "Thee, Thou, and Thine" are not words of respect but used to describe the lower classes. "You and Me" were used by the upper class descenants of the Norman french. Anglo words are lower class and The St James Bible was aimed at them rather than the Priests.

As for Holy Spirit, you only use Capitals for a proper name. We do not capitalize God because he is God but because he is a being with that name. So Holy Spirit gets a capital H if Holy is part of the name but a small h if it is a Spirit that happens to be holy.

-- Donald M Henderson. (dmhender@tbaytel.net), January 15, 2003.