Reading the letters of two soldiers—one who fought in the Civil War and the other in World War II—reveals truths not just about the realities of war, but also about what matters most.

A brief history of great letter-writing—and a look at why corresponding with one another mirrors the incredible access to Himself that God offers us through the Incarnation.

Rainer Maria Rilke may have seen something of his own young self when he responded to a letter from an aspiring young poet. We would do well to be as kind to who we used to be.

Through the letters they exchanged and their shared love for used books, Helene Hanff and Frank Dole developed a lifelong friendship from an ocean apart.

Tolkien’s letters give us glimpses of the writer’s life, his inspirations, and the basis of his hopes for a world he saw steadily slipping away. By Michael Toscano

Love letters penned in the Second World War offer surprising insights into the nature of time and the vicissitudes of social media. By Joel Cuthbertson

Taking its place in the long line of literary pilgrimages, Jane Eyre depicts a particularly modern journey—one in which the destination must be discovered along the way. By Karen Swallow Prior

The best way to push back against excessive self-confidence and ideology is to cultivate an attitude of intellectual pilgrimage. By Collin Slowey