Barbara Pappas holds a “Bachelor of Arts” Degree from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, with a concentration in early Church Fathers, and a “Masters of Arts” in Applied Orthodox Theology from the University of Balamand, in association with the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology & the Antiochian House of Studies in North America. A lay assistant at the Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church in Westchester, Illinois, she has taught students of all ages for many years. She has also lectured to Orthodox and non-Orthodox alike in many areas of the United States and in Russia.

Wife, mother of three, and grandmother of seven, Barbara is also the founder and director, along with Rev. William S. Chiganos, of the Holy Apostles Resource Center (HARC), which carries an inventory of about 1500 Orthodox book titles, icons, Church items, etc. and is open to the public daily. HARC is widely noted for its week-long “Celebration of Books” beginning the second Sunday of Great Lent each year, showcasing the books and presentations by noted authors and speakers from around the world.

From the Author

“Beginning at a very young age, various aspects of my life worked together to awaken in me the desire to find out what life is all about. Why are we born on this earth … live a short time … then die? There must be a grand purpose! My search for meaning led me to a study of the history of man and various philosophies and theologies.

“By the grace of God, I was eventually introduced to the early Church Fathers. I came to understand, as reason would dictate, that He does exist—of course—and that He has a Divine Plan for man, His ultimate creation. I also discovered that the Orthodox Church has struggled since the time of the Apostles to preserve the fullness of the truth about that Plan as it was revealed through the ages, reaching its culmination in our Lord Jesus Christ.

“The Divine Liturgy of the Orthodox Church is the life and teachings of Jesus Christ made present: Holy Scripture brought to life. It can transport a worshiper from the worries and complexities of everyday life to the wonders of Heaven, where the entire Body of Christ — the Church Triumphant (those who have gone beyond this world), the Church Militant (those still involved in the spiritual warfare of life on earth) and the Celestial Beings — gather together at the Table of the Lord. To those who come to her in living faith, the Church is a transmitter of the Divine Energies of God, toward growth in holiness in preparation for eternal life with Him. Her walls reflect the lives of some who have followed Jesus Christ, through the Church, to make that journey. They beckon all who will to do likewise.

“As they were to me before I began my quest, however, to many, Orthodoxy’s treasures seem to be hidden. Some cross her threshold now and then—or even regularly—without understanding that which she offers. Without that framework, it is easy to remain superficially involved in the ethereal beauty of the rituals of the Church without opening oneself to their intended transformation in the image of Christ, or even to walk away unmoved. Are You Saved? was written for them. It encourages a vibrant, life-long, active and interactive spiritual life in-Christ.

“Are You Saved? was also written for those who have basically no knowledge of the Orthodox Church and her unique apostolic theology. To them, the invitation: ‘Come…see the works of God’ (Ps 66:5).”

See Are You Saved? and other books by Barbara Pappas.