Epistle

An epistle is a written communication addressed to a person or group. In its broad sense, it denotes any letter, especially a formal or didactic one. The term derives from Latin epistola, from Greek epistolē, meaning a letter or missive. Epistles have been used across cultures to convey instruction, praise, or exhortation, and they may be intended for private correspondence or for public reading.

Historically, letters circulated widely in antiquity. In the classical world, writers such as Cicero, Seneca, and Pliny the Younger produced influential collections of letters. In the Christian tradition, the Epistles of the Apostle Paul and other early Christian leaders constitute a substantial portion of the New Testament, offering doctrinal guidance, ethical instruction, and responses to practical issues faced by early communities.

In literature, the epistolary form refers to a narrative technique that presents the story through letters, diary entries, or other documents written by characters. This approach can create immediacy and multiple perspectives. Notable examples include Samuel Richardson’s Pamela and Clarissa, Goethe’s The Sorrows of Young Werther, and the framing letters often used in Frankenstein. The form has continued to influence modern novels and other media, including works that use letters, emails, or diary-like documents to structure the narrative.

In contemporary usage, “epistle” may denote a formal public letter or a biblical letter designated as an Epistle, such as those addressed to communities or individuals for guidance, instruction, or admonition. The term remains a literary and religious shorthand for letters used as texts in communication and instruction.