Which option reflects the rule for capitalizing adjectives derived from religions?

Which option reflects the rule for capitalizing adjectives derived from religions?

• A. No, capitalized
• B. Only at the start of a sentence
• C. Yes, always capitalized
• D. Only when used as proper nouns

Answer: (D)

Capitalizing adjectives that come from religion names follows the pattern of treating the relationship to a named religion as a proper descriptor. When you say Christian ethics or Islamic law, the capitalized form shows you’re referring to the religion or its adherents. So the rule is to capitalize these adjectives when they are tied to a specific religion (used as a proper adjective), not in every possible use or in contexts that don’t name the religion. That’s why this choice best reflects how capitalization works for terms derived from religions. For example, you’d write Christian holidays and Jewish customs with capitals, while some other derived terms aren’t tied to a specific religion in a way that requires capitalization.

Capitalizing adjectives that come from religion names follows the pattern of treating the relationship to a named religion as a proper descriptor. When you say Christian ethics or Islamic law, the capitalized form shows you’re referring to the religion or its adherents. So the rule is to capitalize these adjectives when they are tied to a specific religion (used as a proper adjective), not in every possible use or in contexts that don’t name the religion. That’s why this choice best reflects how capitalization works for terms derived from religions. For example, you’d write Christian holidays and Jewish customs with capitals, while some other derived terms aren’t tied to a specific religion in a way that requires capitalization.