Tyree
07-17-2008, 06:21 PM
Anyone who reads anything dealing with history will notice there is no standard on which to use: Before Christ (BC) or Before Common Era (BCE); Anno Domini (AD) or Common Era (CE).
Anno Domini means "In the Year of the Lord," therefore it has Christian connotations; and, obviously, Before Christ has the same religious connotations. Before Christ and Before Common Era do not differ numerically, thus no changes would need to be made when dating. The idea is that any objective form of writing should use the objective form of counting years: Use BCE and CE. If you are writing something based around Christianity, then the use of BC and AD is fine. Keep in mind, however, that AD appears before a year, not after. For example, you would use either 793 CE or AD 793. They both represent the same year, so either way is legal. It is considered proper form to use objective dating conventions when writing about history unrelated to Christianity. However, there is no real legal way to do it. The important thing is consistency. If you're using one form in an article, essay, or any other writing, you should never switch forms in the middle. Pick one and stick with it. Just remember that, if you use Anno Domini, it is placed before the year and not after.
Obviously this is subject to the professional opinions and experience by the commanders of DTW.
Anno Domini means "In the Year of the Lord," therefore it has Christian connotations; and, obviously, Before Christ has the same religious connotations. Before Christ and Before Common Era do not differ numerically, thus no changes would need to be made when dating. The idea is that any objective form of writing should use the objective form of counting years: Use BCE and CE. If you are writing something based around Christianity, then the use of BC and AD is fine. Keep in mind, however, that AD appears before a year, not after. For example, you would use either 793 CE or AD 793. They both represent the same year, so either way is legal. It is considered proper form to use objective dating conventions when writing about history unrelated to Christianity. However, there is no real legal way to do it. The important thing is consistency. If you're using one form in an article, essay, or any other writing, you should never switch forms in the middle. Pick one and stick with it. Just remember that, if you use Anno Domini, it is placed before the year and not after.
Obviously this is subject to the professional opinions and experience by the commanders of DTW.