The Demise of Tribal Politics, 1955–1985

This chapter examines the demise of Norman Vincent Peale’s tribal politics during the period 1955–1985. Peale viewed politics, like religion, as a very personal matter. His strong commitment to the Prohibition struggle emanated in large part from a sense of tribal loyalty. The chapter first considers Peale’s ties to the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) before discussing his personal politics and his involvement in local politics. It then analyzes Peale’s participation in efforts to prevent the nomination of the Roman Catholic Senator John F. Kennedy as presidential candidate in 1960, his friendship with Richard Nixon, and the controversy sparked by the so-called Peale group, which issued a statement indicting the politics of the Roman Catholic Church following a press conference in Washington. It also recounts Peale’s dispute with John Bennett, dean of Union Seminary’s faculty at the time, and concludes with an assessment of his book “The Tough-Minded Optimist.”

Politics

This chapter examines how Norman Vincent Peale’s message of practical Christianity intertwined with his conservative politics during the period 1935–1955. It argues that Peale’s populist religion and conservative politics were mutually reinforcing, whose own postwar bid for acceptance, entitlement, and power coincided with the fullest flowering of Peale’s ministry. The chapter first considers Peale’s Toryism and populism, and more specifically how he first warmed to partisan politics through Prohibition, before discussing his involvement with the National Committee to Uphold Constitutional Government and with a politically partisan group called Spiritual Mobilization, his chairmanship of the Christian Freedom Foundation, and his participation in and eventual withdrawal from Facts Forum, the “educational” organization sponsored by Texas oilman H. L. Hunt.

“More Than a Magazine”

This chapter examines how Norman Vincent Peale disseminated his gospel using the “Guideposts” magazine, which used the motto, “More than a magazine.” Founded in 1944 by Peale, “Guideposts” gave Pealeism a public identity that was easily understood. Politically, early “Guideposts” found a home for the potentially antinomian message of positive thinking within Cold War conservatism. Its editorial philosophy reflected Peale’s civic and religious priorities, best summarized as the ideas of Americanism, free enterprise, and practical Christianity. The chapter shows how “Guideposts” emerged from Peale’s practical Christianity and political conservatism and how it fared in the 1940s. It also discusses the strategies adopted by Peale to build a new image for “Guideposts” and concludes by explaining how the magazine evolved from a political broadside of the Cold War to achieve a more enduring cultural status along the lines of “The Reader’s Digest” and “National Geographic.”

Drawing Down the Lightning, 1932–1942

This chapter discusses Norman Vincent Peale’s life and career as a Methodist minister during the years 1932–1942. It first describes Peale’s move to New York in 1932 during the darkest days of the Depression, hoping to develop an innovative ministry around a message of practical Christianity and fight the New Deal. It then considers Peale’s decision to change his religious affiliation to the Reformed Church in America and his tenure as pastor of Marble Collegiate Church, along with the early challenges he encountered there. It also examines how Peale used the internal polarized struggles of Protestantism, real and imagined, as the special focus of his public platform. Finally, it analyses changes in Peale’s New York ministry and the growth of Marble Church under his watch; his establishment of a religio-psychiatric outpatient clinic that later became known as Institutes of Religion and Health; and his ministry to businessmen.

Learning the Lessons of Liberalism, 1921–1932

This chapter discusses Norman Vincent Peale’s early lessons on liberalism, focusing on the years 1921–1932. It first describes Peale’s life and career at the Boston University seminary before considering his tenure as student pastor of the Methodist Church in Berkeley, Rhode Island. It then examines Peale’s move to Brooklyn, New York, in 1924, and his tenure at the King’s Highway Methodist Church; his appointment as minister of University Avenue Methodist Church in Syracuse in April 1927, and how his preaching was redesigned in Syracuse; how he coped with the Crash of 1929 that occurred midway through his tenure at University Church; and his partnership with Ruth Stafford, who became his wife in 1930. The chapter also recounts Peale’s tenure as minister of Marble Collegiate Church in New York City.

The Third Disestablishment

This chapter examines how Norman Vincent Peale’s personal ministry grew during the time of what is known as the “third disestablishment” of Protestantism. From 1960 until his 1984 retirement from Marble Collegiate Church, Peale focused primarily on enlarging the ministry of the Foundation for Christian Living. His hybrid message of conservative politics and harmonial New Thought theology was ideally positioned to win supporters on the New Age left and the evangelical right. The chapter first considers Peale’s crisis theology and how he integrated his concept of positive thinking with holistic medicine before discussing his self-appointed ministry to America’s businessmen, his work as “God’s Salesman,” his message of practical Christianity, what he thought of the clergy, and his life after retiring from Marble Church.

Positive Thinking and the Cure of the Souls

This chapter examines how Norman Vincent Peale’s gospel of positive thinking catapulted him to fame, mainly through his 1952 book, “The Power of Positive Thinking,” and contributed to the revival of American religion at the time. It first considers how the overwhelming reception accorded “The Power of Positive Thinking” made Peale a “minister to millions” and how his popularity coincided with the religious revitalization effort before discussing Peale’s interpretation of New Thought. It then looks at the criticisms hurled against “The Power of Positive Thinking,” including the accusation that Pealeism represented the worst aspects of the revival of populist religion, and the role played by Peale in the religious revival of the 1950s. Finally, it describes how the Foundation for Christian Living emerged as the nerve center of Peale’s independent ministry during the decade of the 1950s.

Introduction

TO MANY THOUGHTFUL Americans in the closing years of the twentieth century, the statistical evidence on the health of the culture speaks of a giant, fatal cancer, steadily and inexorably destroying the quality of life that was familiar and comfortable to anyone born before the Korean War. The data, regularly published in the press as if to titillate morbid sensibilities, confirm that one’s personal experience with social disruption is general: Marriages and families increasingly fragile; children of all ages appear more at risk; the elderly live longer, hollower lives; ethnic groups battle each other for an even smaller part of the national pie; women and men weary of ever understanding each other; and national resources and prestige decline as the business community grows paralyzed from competition, complacency, and cultural pollution. There are people in middle life to whom it seems difficult to remember a brighter day, when life promised hope, a future of meaningful connections, and children had a right to large dreams. Who could think positively about the future?...

Epilogue

TO CONSIDER THE future of Pealeism beyond the lifetime of its creator pushes the boundaries of historical inquiry. Peale ensured that the agency most closely tied to his identity, the Foundation for Christian Living—or more appropriately the Peale Center for Christian Living—was prepared to continue the line of succession with his son-in-law and daughter in charge. Without the constant replenishment of its literary tradition by Peale himself their work was cut out for them. The national network of people and preacher that became the Phenomenon of Pealeism was held together by Peale’s image, surely, but more important, it was sustained by the appeal of his unique message to a substantial segment of mass culture....

A Thoroughly Methodist Beginning, 1898–1921

This chapter focuses on Norman Vincent Peale’s early life and Methodist beginning, which covers the years 1898–1921. Norman Vincent Peale was born on May 31, 1898 in Ohio. His parents, Anna and Charles Clifford Peale, were members of the Methodist Church. The chapter first provides a background on Anna and Clifford Peale as Methodists before discussing Norman Peale’s reminiscences of his childhood. It then considers how Norman Peale may have experienced the label of “preacher’s kid” as a tighter fit than his two younger brothers and goes on to examine his Methodist education. It also narrates how Norman Peale discovered Ralph Waldo Emerson and William James while studying at Ohio Wesleyan University, an institution known for its patent identification with Methodism; his life in active politics; his early writing career; and his decision to enroll at the Boston University School of Theology.