In Things Worth Dying For, Charles J. Chaput traces human history from ancient times to today to find threads of connection in our yearning for God, love, honor, beauty, truth, and immortality. He looks at our modern age of consumption and individualism and offers a penetrating analysis of how we got here, and how we can look to our roots and our faith to find meaning each day amid the noise of competing desires.

Chaput debunks the myth of the selfish gene, showing how society has always been structured around the family and that the love we have for our kin has not changed. He points to our longing to die heroically as part of our hunger for war, and shows that an honorable death is not one of violence but one of faith, love for God, and service to others.

Ultimately, he concludes, the things worth dying for are the things worth living for.