“Sound Spiritual (Interfaith!) Practice that Stands the Test of Time”: A Review of The Power of Positive Thinking (Interfaith 21st Century Edition) by Norman Vincent Peale, with Hasan Abdullah Ismaik

 

 (Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA: Waterside Productions, 2022). ISBN: 978-1-958848-19-7

Originally published in 1952, The Power of Positive Thinking became not only a New York Times bestseller, but the acorn from which has grown a strong, tall oak we all know as the Spiritual Self-Help genre. Having first read Rev. Dr. Peale’s life-changing masterpiece in 1997, during a time of profound upheaval and transition in my life (while listening to tens of hours of his recorded presentations), my second reading—after twenty-five years of voracious study of similar books and principles—illuminated just how many pillars of the Spiritual Self-Help community he has inspired. From Wayne Dyer to Gay Hendricks, from Caroline Myss to Joe Dispenza, the foundational principles presented by Rev. Dr. Peale are all readily apparent in each of their programs. He was certainly an excellent role model. Peale authored 46 books, was a pastor for more than 50 years, and cofounded the first school for pastoral psychology. He also had his own radio show for 54 years and was one of the publishers of Guideposts.

If you are one of the millions who have already read and applied the principles of positive thinking presented so eloquently in this book, do not turn away, because Arab Muslim billionaire philanthropist and peace activist Hasan Abdullah Ismaik has given us a new edition that is truly extraordinary and crucial to our times. This Interfaith 21st Century Edition features the addition of companion quotes to the King James Bible originals from the Hebrew Bible, Quran, and Book of Sirach. Each was chosen by Ismaik to bring together the three Abrahamic religions at a time when religion is in the spotlight as never before, as an increasing percentage of the population has come to see it, rather than a tool of harmony and peace, as one of war, strife, prejudice, and greed.

Reading the introduction and Ismaik’s impressive bio, it is clear that he is the perfect man for the job.  Not only does he clearly understand and daily applies the precepts in this book—which he first read in his youth—he has dedicated a considerable portion of his energy and assets to bringing understanding to and about the Middle East to a wide array of audiences.

Ismaik, despite what some might read as his considerable privilege as a billionaire, is eloquent and sober when it comes to the state of the world: “We live in a time of deep division and conflict: globally, socially, religiously, economically. The unrelenting cycles of news and social media fan the flames of unrest.” Instead of using his wealth to give celebrities rides in rockets, to buy influence in social media, and play God with cybercurrencies and the like, Ismaik has studied philosophy and holy writings, spent two years in Mecca, and is “working for international cooperation, conflict resolution, and stability in the Middle East,” especially the welfare of the young.

Although raised a Catholic (and at one time considering becoming a priest), I keep both the Quran and Hebrew Bible (as well as dozens of other books of sacred scripture) beside what was once my mother’s bible, gifted to her seventy-plus years ago when she made her Holy Communion. I have attended churches, temples, Lakota sweat lodges, drum circles, interfaith celebrations, and numerous other religious and spiritual gatherings. Although it is fashionable to say that there is one God with many, many (many) names, I truly do believe it. Therefore, Ismaik’s efforts here seem to me both important and profound. Even if you skip the principles laid out in the book because you know them by heart, you can make a weeks-long daily meditation and reflection practice of reading the passages from the various holy books that Ismaik has offered us. Try it even once and you will see that this exercise clearly demonstrates the common language that exists in the abundant sunshine that resides above the dark clouds of the manufactured strife promulgated by those who have found it advantageous for more than a millennia to use religion and the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment as tools of othering and control.

It would be unacceptable of me to leave it there. For those of you who have never read nor engaged with Rev. Dr. Peale’s principles for positive thinking (or at some point left them behind), I want to take a little time to (re)introduce them to you. Though, before I do, let me say that these are not just theories—the book is just as much a collection of engaging and challenging stories that offer both a lesson and a mirror on their own as it is a book of packaged principles and exercises.

From the more well-trafficked principles (Believe in Yourself) to the, for their time, groundbreaking (How to Use Faith in Healing), Rev. Dr. Peale gives the reader stories he has collected, snippets of counseling sessions he conducted, scripture, and lists of applied practices. He covers—in addition to the more obvious positive-thinking exercises—energy, prayer, happiness, solving personal problems, relaxation, increasing vitality, and dealing with heartache. He believed that consciousness survives death—also groundbreaking for his time. He also covers addiction (he was an advocate of AA) and spends quite a bit of time on the increasingly accepted fact that as much as 90% of physical illness is due in some way to one’s mental health.

In the end, whether you are seeking a closer relationship to God (whatever name you use) through the Abrahamic scriptures, attempting to improve your upward career mobility, wanting to improve your health or overall mindset, increase your energy, or—best yet with this new addition—to contribute to world peace by understanding the similarities rather than the differences between the major world religions, this is a perfect time to (re)engage with the work of Rev. Dr. Peale and the indispensable contributions offered here by Hasan Abdullah Ismaik.