Gregory Coles

Author, editor, and speaker; Contemporary Worship Coordinator, State College Alliance Church, State College, PA

Gregory Coles Headshot

Profile

Dr. Greg Coles is a writer, scholar, and worship leader whose work explores the dynamic spaces where language, identity, and faith meet. With a Ph.D. in English (Rhetoric & Composition) from Penn State, Greg’s academic contributions delve into rhetorical theory—particularly how nondominant groups construct linguistic identity—as well as the role of personal narrative and the often fraught intersection of sexuality and Christian faith. He has authored two books, several academic essays, and a range of creative pieces that invite readers into deeper, more compassionate conversations about belonging and belief.

When he’s not writing, Greg is likely cooking something new, jogging through the neighborhoods of central Pennsylvania, or leading worship at his local church. Whether in scholarship, storytelling, or song, his work invites others into spaces of authenticity, nuance, and healing.

Courses Taught

  • CMC 401 Decision-Making and Ethics in Communication

Education

  • Ph.D. in English/Rhetoric & Composition | The Pennsylvania State University
  • M.A. in English/Rhetoric & Composition | The Pennsylvania State University 
  • B.A. in Communication | Roberts Wesleyan University

Sample Publications

  • Books:

    • No Longer Strangers: Finding Belonging in a World of Alienation (InterVarsity Press, forthcoming 2021)

    • Single, Gay, Christian: A Personal Journey of Faith and Sexual Identity (InterVarsity Press, 2017)

  • Peer-Reviewed Articles:

    • “Address at the Rakernas Partai Nasdem.” Forthcoming in Alternative Sources of Rhetorical Traditions, edited by Tarez Samra Graban and Hui Wu, Southern Illinois University Press. 8,500 words.

    • “Gendering the Unsaid and the Unsayable.” Coauthored with Cheryl Glenn. In Qualitative Studies of Silence: The Unsaid as Social Action, edited by Amy Jo Murray and Kevin Durrheim, Cambridge University Press, 2019, pp. 147-164.

    • “‘What Do I Lack as a Woman?’: The Rhetoric of Megawati Sukarnoputri.” Rhetorica: A Journal of the History of Rhetoric, vol. 36, no. 1, 2018, pp. 58-91.

    • “The Exorcism of Language: Reclaimed Derogatory Terms and Their Limits.” College English, vol. 78, no. 5, 2016, pp. 424-446.