Norman Vincent Peale came to the Marble Collegiate Church in New York City in 1932, leaving his Methodist background for this Reformed Church in America congregation. He revitalized that congregation, turning it into one of the largest congregations in the city. One of Peale's most important innovations for Marble Collegiate was what became the American Foundation for Religion and Psychiatry, a psychological counseling program affiliated with his congregation. Another aspect of his ministry was the creation of the magazine Guideposts, a periodical that focused on stories of religious faith in action.

Best-Seller.

In 1948 Peale published The Power of Confident Living and followed it with The Power of Positive Thinking (1952), which stayed on the best-seller list for years. He revised his sermons into other books assuring his readers that religion would improve their personal lives, Stay Alive All Your Life (1957) and Amazing Results of Positive Thinking (1959).

Stevenson's Put...