James Edward Beitler III

James Edward Beitler III is Associate Professor of English at Wheaton College, where he also serves as Director of First-Year Writing and Coordinator of the Writing Fellows Program. His scholarship bridges rhetoric, Christian thought, and transitional justice, focusing on the intersection of communication, faith, and social ethics.

• Director of the Marion E. Wade Center
• Co-author of Charitable Writing and author of Seasoned Speech
• Teaches courses on Christian literature, writing pedagogy, and fantasy fiction
• Active in community engagement through All Souls Anglican Church and Safe Families for Children

His research explores how Christian communicators like C.S. Lewis and Desmond Tutu employ rhetorical traditions to align faith with public discourse. He examines liturgical seasons as frameworks for ethical communication and has contributed extensively to truth commission studies, particularly the Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Beitler’s recent publications analyze rhetorical strategies in Christian witness, with a focus on Seasoned Speech and Charitable Writing, while his teaching emphasizes writing’s role in spiritual formation and social justice. He is a sought-after speaker on rhetoric in religious contexts and serves on multiple advisory boards at Wheaton College.