In the worldwide best seller ; Values in a Time of ; Upheaval, Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) ; passionately defends the role traditional Judeo-Christian ; values should play in a pluralistic society and a ; multicultural world. He examines such crucial contemporary ; issues as the moral foundations of a free society, the role ; of spiritual values in promoting human rights, current ; challenges to Western culture, and the place of faith and ; love of God in finding true peace. Joseph Ratzinger ; proposes a balance of faith and reason that avoids the ; extremes of fundamentalist theocracies and secular, ; relativist states.Topics ; include: •Politics and ; morality •Peace •The meaning of history ; •Truth in a pluralistic world •The ; moral basis of democratic states ; •Relativism •Human dignity •The ; Christian basis for hope ; •Bioethics •Freedom •Human ; rights and responsibilities •Marriage and ; family •Tradition and progress