Peale, Norman Vincent

Peale, Norman Vincent (1898–1993), minister, author, public speaker.Born in central Ohio to a Methodist minister and his wife, Peale received divinity training from Boston University and was ordained by the United Methodist Church in 1922. He left Methodism in 1932, however, to become a minister of the Reformed church in America's Marble Collegiate Church in New York City, serving there for more than fifty years. While in this post, Peale expanded his ministry to nonchurchgoers through books, journalism, radio programs, speaking engagements, and television.

Peale preached a distinctive brand of popular Christianity, using a straightforward, anecdotal style and emphasizing the practical qualities of religion and the power of affirmative prayer. In his sermons, lectures, and numerous published works, including most notably the best‐seller The Power of Positive Thinking (1952) and Guideposts magazine (founded 1944), Peale stressed that a positive attitude along with a strong commitment to Christian morality and love of God would lead to an improved life.

This philosophy generated attacks from some Protestant ministers and theologians, who believed that Peale's simplified theology and utilitarian focus on religion as merely a means to materialistic ends, namely a vaguely defined “success,” inappropriately promoted individual agency over God's saving grace. Despite these critiques, Peale remained extremely popular throughout his life, reaching millions annually via his lectures and writings and playing a leading role in the religious revival of the 1950s. Although indeed simplistic, Peale's ideas clearly resonated with many Americans, who discovered through them a new commitment to and appreciation for personal religion.
See also Fifties, The; Protestantism.

Bibliography

Carol V.R. George , God's Salesman: Norman Vincent Peale and the Power of Positive Thinking, 1993.

Margaret A. Hogan