Norman Vincent Peale
Biography of Norman Vincent Peale
The Power of Positive Thinking
Defender of America, Christianity or Freedom
Norman Vincent Peale was a Christian preacher and author and proponent of the theory of "positive thinking.
Raised as a Methodist and ordained as a Methodist minister in 1922, Peale changed his religious affiliation to the Reformed Church in America in 1932, and began a 52-year tenure as pastor of Marble Collegiate Church in Manhattan.
The Power of Positive Thinking remains by far his most widely read work. First published in 1952, it has sold around 20 million copies and translated into 41 different languages
For 54 years (from 1935 to 1989), Peale also hosted a weekly radio program -- His sermons were mailed to around 750,000 people a month. He was also the subject of a 1964 film -- One Man’s Way.
In 1947, Peale co-founded “The Horatio Alger Association.” This organization aims to recognize and honor Americans who have been successful in spite of difficult circumstances they have faced.
Other organizations founded by Peale include the Peale Center, the Positive Thinking Foundation and Guideposts Publications, all of which aim to promote Peale's theories about positive thinking.
For his contributions to the field of theology, President Ronald Reagan awarded Peale the Presidential Medal of Freedom (the highest civilian honor in the United States) on March 26, 1984.
