Some writers come to faith by tradition. Others inherit it. Constance Hastings arrived there the long way around—through uncertainty, questioning, and lived experience. Raised in a non-religious home but educated in a Christian school, her path gave her both distance and intimacy with the story of Jesus. She built careers in education and mental-health counseling before ever sitting down to write a book.
Her debut, The Trouble with Jesus: Considerations Before You Walk Away, didn’t start as a book at all. It began as a presentation for a group of thoughtful, professional women who were asking deeper questions about Christianity. Faced with the challenge of creating something meaningful, Constance experienced a moment of clarity—the idea that faith and doubt must coexist.
She later realized that the presentation had given her the book’s structure. But life, career, and responsibility delayed the writing until retirement, when she finally carved out time to bring it to completion.
One of the most distinctive qualities of the book is the presence of what she calls the voice of doubt—a creative, internal challenger who interrupts, questions, and sometimes argues with the narrative. Rather than silencing that voice, Hastings wanted to give it agency and acknowledgment. It speaks for the reader who isn’t sure. It speaks for the part of all of us that has hesitated, wrestled, or wondered.
Today, Constance splits her time between Wilmington, Delaware, and Duval County, Florida, traveling, speaking, and continuing the conversation through her companion blog, The Trouble With Jesus. She is less interested in convincing and more interested in engaging—in opening space for meaning, doubt, growth, and the slow work of understanding.
Her work reminds us that the real struggle with belief is not about certainty—it’s about honesty. And that’s a conversation worth having.
Learn more & connect
Website: https://www.constancehastings.com/
Substack: https://jesustrouble.substack.com/
Email: constance.hastings@constancehastings.com
Facebook Author Profile: https://www.facebook.com/constance.hastings.9
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheTroublewithJesus
X: https://x.com/cm_hastings
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Constance-Hastings/author/B0CQ31SLKP
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/constance-hastings-0969a7136/
Her book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4qORDIe
Watch Our Interview on Jolene’s Book And Writer’s Talk Podcast
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