This lecture was delivered on October 6, 2018 as part of an intellectual retreat entitled "Philosophical Realism and the Existence of God."

Drawing from Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas maintained that the least knowledge of the highest things brings the greatest joy. What exactly are the highest things? God and the things of God. To contemplate and savor the truth of the highest reality-this delights our minds, this is the bold challenge undertaken by would-be scholar-saints.

Yet today, a clear thinker is hard to find. The space to have rational discussions and the common ground on which to have them are shrinking. Many people experience difficulty in contemplating and speaking about the highest things-even the least bit.

And so before one can propose freely contemplating the ultimate reality, time must be spent on realism. This retreat is designed to clear the way for rational discourse, to tease out and purify some popular worldviews. What are the underlying presuppositions that stunt our conversations? How does one begin to speak of God and the things of God? How does one contemplate the highest things and find joy?