Although an Augustinian Christian would not be opposed to fictional works, he would disapprove of trivial works written merely for entertainment purposes. Augustinian values contemplation and piety, and one's values dictate their tastes in literature. Looking at their beliefs, one recalls Nathaniel Hawthorne as one of their successors. They would like the ancestry to The Scarlet Letter; works with either a clear moral or which cause deep reflection would be considered desirable.
Religious works would of course be admired as examples of how we too can desert our fallen natures and embrace God's grace. An Augustinian would write fiction that reached into the soul and stared at the ugly depths within. Their heroes would be self-searching and imperfect yet with the potential for achieving hope and freedom. Novels would appeal as long as they served a purpose. Romantic literature would be seen as feeding man's folly.
