The Gregorian calendar, despite its Western Christian origins, serves as the global standard for dating events. Its reach extends across religious, cultural, and linguistic borders, making it a truly universal system. As many know, this calendar revolves around the assumed birth year of Jesus Christ. Years following are marked with AD or CE, counting upwards from this point, while preceding years, counting down, are labeled BC or BCE.
But what exactly distinguishes AD from CE, and BC from BCE? Are they interchangeable terms? And if so, which set should we be using? This article aims to clarify these dating systems and their nuances.
Understanding BC and AD: The Traditional Designations
The concept of counting years from the birth of Jesus Christ was first proposed in 525 AD by Dionysius Exiguus, a Christian monk. This system, formalized under the Julian and Gregorian calendars, gained prominence throughout Europe and the Christian world over subsequent centuries. AD is an abbreviation for Anno Domini, a Latin phrase translating to “in the year of the Lord.” Conversely, BC stands for “before Christ.”
Exploring BCE and CE: The Modern Alternatives
CE stands for “Common Era” or “Current Era,” while BCE denotes “Before the Common Era” or “Before the Current Era.” These abbreviations are more recent than BC and AD, emerging in the early 18th century. Jewish academics adopted them widely over a century ago, and their usage became more prevalent in broader academic and scientific fields during the latter half of the 20th century, increasingly replacing BC/AD.
The Shift Towards BCE/CE: Reasons for Adoption
Religious neutrality is a primary driver behind the adoption of BCE/CE. Given the Gregorian calendar’s global dominance, individuals from non-Christian backgrounds may find the explicitly Christian connotations of BC and AD, particularly “Anno Domini” (“in the year of the Lord” implying Jesus Christ), objectionable.
This concern for religious neutrality initially led Jewish academics to favor BCE/CE and remains the most frequently cited justification for its use. However, some also critique the BC/AD system for its factual inaccuracies. It’s widely accepted that Jesus’s actual birth predates AD 1 by at least two years. Therefore, some argue that directly linking years to a potentially inaccurate birthdate is arbitrary and potentially misleading. BCE/CE circumvents this issue by avoiding explicit reference to Jesus’s birth, mitigating some of the loaded implications associated with our dating system while still acknowledging the conventional starting point at 1 CE.
Resistance and Pushback: The Case for BC/AD
The transition to BCE/CE has not been universally embraced. BC/AD remains more common, even decades after BCE/CE entered mainstream usage in the 1980s. Backlash against the newer system has occurred, notably in 2002 when the UK National Curriculum adopted BCE/CE. In 2011, Australian education authorities refuted claims of a planned shift in national textbooks, amidst similar media-fueled controversy.
Strongest opposition often arises from those who perceive BCE/CE as an attempt to erase Jesus Christ from historical narratives. They contend that the Gregorian calendar is inherently Christian, so attempts to obscure this origin are unnecessary. Others question the need to replace a long-standing, functional system, arguing that introducing two sets of abbreviations could create confusion.
Conversely, some argue that BCE/CE is less inclusive than BC/AD. They propose that BCE/CE elevates Christ’s birth by marking it as the start of a “common era,” whereas BC/AD is simply a direct reference to the event itself.
Current Usage and Recommendations: Navigating the Options
Most style guides don’t favor one system over the other, although BC/AD is still more prevalent in journalistic contexts. Academic and scientific writing, however, leans towards BCE/CE. With valid arguments supporting both, and both in regular use, a definitive recommendation is not always necessary. Writers can choose based on personal preference or audience expectation, but consistency is key: avoid mixing BC with CE or AD with BCE. Typographical conventions also exist:
- BC follows the year, AD precedes it.
1100 BC, AD 1066
- BCE and CE both follow the year.
1100 BCE, 1066 CE
- Periods are optional after each letter in all abbreviations.
1100 B.C., A.D. 1066, 1100 B.C.E., 1066 C.E.
- Some style guides suggest small caps for BC, AD, BCE, and CE.
AD 2017
Often, the choice is unnecessary. Outside historical contexts, the BC/AD or BCE/CE distinction is usually implied. Unspecified years are generally understood to be CE or AD, making explicit marking redundant for recent centuries.
This article was created by Antidote’s linguists.
