Norman Vincent Peale gained international fame with his 1952 bestseller The Power of Positive Thinking, which made him an influential religious figure of the twentieth century. As pastor of Marble Collegiate Church in New York City for more than fifty years, he promoted a message of optimism, faith, and self-confidence that reached millions. Peale received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1984. He was the author of 46 books, a long-running radio broadcast, and co-founder of Guideposts magazine Critics challenged his blending of theology and self-help, but his teachings left a lasting imprint on American religious and popular culture.