7 Book List for Theology

His [Adam's before the fall] AFFECTIONS were orderly, pure, and holy; which is a necessary part of that uprightness wherein man was created. The apostle has a petition, 2 Thess. 3:5, "The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God;" that is, "The Lord straighten your hearts," or make them lie straight to the love of God.

I just wanted to quote the above from Boston's Human Nature in its Fourfold State to show how a line from the Bible can have meaning you can easily miss when reading it naked. I.e., notice how "the Lord straighten your hearts" and "the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God" suggests Higher Centers.

I've recently hit on a formula for finding a seven book list for Christianity. Using the 'history, imaginative literature, philosophy' categories, and using works that are more literary than reference-oriented, while still having a trio of complete systematic/covenant theology I came up with this list:

Bible, AV1611
Human Nature in its Fourfold State - Thomas Boston
Pilgrim's Progress - John Bunyan
Fourth Way - Ouspensky
Manual of Christian Doctrine - Louis Berkhof
Economy of the Covenants Between God and Man - Herman Witsius
God, Heaven and Har Magedon - Meredith G. Kline

I can defend this list as definitive. There's no overlap here, which is the common fault of a list of definitive theological works. If one is inclined Berkhof's Systematic Theology can replace the shorter Manual. Berkhof provides a one-volume source of complete, on-the-mark systematic doctrine and takes the place of the myriad great similar works, even Calvin's Institutes (I leave Calvin off regretfully, but I think the wisdom aspect apart from the systematic aspect of his work is picked up by the other works such as Boston). The Boston and Bunyan are folk classics, and 'bible' type works. Foundational. Bunyan's language keeps you on the right path. Boston's work is true esoteric history, succinct, and on-the-mark. The four categories (states of man) explain things the way foundational ideas explain things. It is pure Federal Theology as well. The Witsius and Kline fill out covenant theology and adds cutting edge doctrine (Kline takes the place of Vos). Actually a capstone on CT. The Ouspensky gives the list full scope, and makes it dangerous. The Bible is the Bible.