The Power of Positive Thinking was a minister. He writes that Peale's books have no connection to Christianity and that they “influence, mislead and often disillusion sick, maladjusted, unhappy or ill-constructed people, obscuring for them the Christian realities. They offer easy comforts, easy solutions to problems and mysteries that sometimes perhaps, have no comforts or solutions at all, in glib, worldly terms. They offer a cheap 'happiness' in lieu of the joy Christianity can offer.” While contemporary theologians and mental health experts criticized Peale's teachings in "The Power of Positive Thinking," the general public praised the self-help book. The "Los Angeles Times" estimates that “legions
The Power of Positive Thinking Peale's teachings “lead to failure and disillusionment, and not only boomerang back against people, but often prejudice them against effective therapy." Another criticism is that Peale's philosophy is not accomplished through his techniques presented. R. C. Murphy writes that Peale's teachings “endorse the cruelties which men commit against each other” which encourages readers to “give up [their] strivings and feel free to hate as much as [they] like”. Murphy argues that by teaching others to destroy all negativity, Peale is, in fact, fostering negativity and aggression. Harvard scholar Donald Meyer presents a similar criticism in his article "Confidence Man" written