BACKSLIDING In popular theology the term “backsliding” is often given a prominent place. Depending on one’s theological tradition, it may be used to describe a person’s return to questionable habits, to a loss of the sense of God’s presence, or even to the “down” times that seem to be part of so many believers’ emotional experiences. But popular theology does not always reflect biblical meanings. In the Bible’s use of “backsliding” there is an important, but different, message. 1. The Hebrew words