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Although molded by the slightly dour outlook of the Reformed congregation in which he grew up, Schuller was also profoundly affected by the less constrained teaching of his professors at the Reformed Church's Western Theological Seminary. There Schuller began developing his concept of theological positivism as a lens through which to interpret Scripture. For example, he asserts that while Paul "railed against sin," Christ taught "peace, love, and joy."

Such a conclusion is based on an incomplete reading of the Gospels, certainly. Schuller's approach to Paul appears symptomatic of a certain deliberate naïvete in his understanding of human motives and divine grace. The world is full of the evidence of human brokenness, and ignoring it will not make it go away.

Wrestling with his misgivings about John Calvin's notion of total depravity, Schuller began to stake out his own theological ground.

"I deduced that if I focused not on generating guilt, but. … trust and positive hope, I would be preaching against sin via a creative, redemptive approach."

As he moved on from seminary to pastor a small church in Chicago, which experienced explosive growth under his leadership, Schuller refined his message so that it became easy to understand and convincing in its directness.

On the day of his ordination in a suburb of Chicago, Schuller felt God's hand on him, directing him to a verse that would serve as his own North Star: "You shall be called the repairer of the breach and the restorer of paths to dwell in" (Isa. 58:12).

In a career that seems remarkably single-minded (one of the virtues of autobiography), Schuller was inspired by the idea that if he could get the gospel out in an encouraging and hope-provoking way, then he would indeed be a healer and a restorer.

Years later, ordained and conducting Sunday services at the Orange Drive-In Theater ("Come as you are in the family car!"), Schuller asked another famous Reformed Church pastor and proponent of positive thinking, Norman Vincent Peale, to preach at his outdoor mission.

After hearing Peale say that "any human being can be anything he wants to be through the power Jesus Christ brings into his life," Schuller became convinced that he needed to stamp this timeless message with his personal touch.

"I concluded that I'd have to present Bible truths in simple words and simple messages as Jesus had done. No heavy theology. No intimidation. No judgment. Just inspiring ideas that might bring people from doubt to faith."

Throughout the course of his ministry, Schuller has displayed a remarkable genius for church growth. Much of the drama here is experiencing the evangelist's frustrations and answered prayers as he moves from preaching on the roof of a drive-in movie snack bar to pastoring a 40-acre megachurch complex only a mile from Disneyland.

Schuller is honest about his times of depression. But they are chased away by moments of insight when Schuller hears God encouraging him to continue pursuing his dream.

In addition to an apparently intuitive flair for real estate, Schuller was gifted with a talent for marketing and a user-friendly message that many clergy wrestling with planting seeker-friendly congregations might envy.

Through his Robert Schuller Institute for Successful Church Leadership, the man with a wonderful sensitivity to cultural trends encouraged creative young pastors to leapfrog denominational boundaries and reach the unchurched without scaring them by telling them how "bad" they were. Instead, those who started mission congregations were to get this message across to unbelievers: Jesus Christ is the cure for what ails them. "He will then lead them in becoming persons of positive-thinking faith, hope and love!"

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August 5 2002, Vol. 46, No. 9