Rejebian Series Presents Authors Peter Onuf & Francis Cogliano interviewed by Talmage Boston

About the Book:
Thomas Jefferson has been reinvented more than perhaps any American president in history. In the 19th century, slavery defenders invoked Jefferson’s defense of states’ rights while abolitionists drew on his antislavery writings in support of their cause. After the Civil War, Jefferson’s reputation declined because of his association with secession and disunion, but in the 20th century, his image soared as he came to embody the democratic values America fought for during World War II. Unsurprisingly, Jefferson’s legacy has shifted yet again in the 21st century, effectively becoming a partisan talisman—jettisoned by the left as a plantation patriarch and repurposed by the right as an avatar of white nationalism.
Dissatisfied with these political caricatures and manic swings, leading Jefferson scholars Peter S. Onuf and Francis D. Cogliano instead situate the founding father in his complicated historical context and reveal how his wisdom can be applied today. In a series of three interrelated essays, the authors paint a nuanced portrait. Taken together, “Thomas Jefferson Survives” demonstrates how, even amid crisis, Jefferson managed to articulate a capacious and optimistic vision for the future of the American people.
Join us as the Rejebian book review series celebrates its 70th season this summer. Rejebian welcomes authors and book reviewers to discuss a new literary work each week.
The speaking portion of the event remains free to the public, but with space limitations due to construction, registration is now required. The event will begin at 7 pm in the historic HPUMC Sanctuary, where the doors will open at 6 pm.
Learn more and register here: www.hpumc.org/events/rejebian-series-presents-peter-onuf-and-francis-cogliano-thomas-jefferson-survives?date=2026-07-01