'Hush before him all the earth': An ecological reading of Habakkuk via biblical performance criticism

The prophetic book of Habakkuk is explored in the light of the global ecological crisis with the aid of the Earth Bible Project and Biblical Performance Criticism. In defiance of a widespread interpretation of the prophetic book as primarily a conversation between the prophet and Yahweh, the hermeneutical principle of voice is adopted from the Earth Bible Project in order to hear other voices and challenges in the text. In addition, hermeneutical principles from Biblical Performance Criticism are utilised in analysing the text. The principle of embodiment encourages us to pay attention to non-human entities that speak and act in this prophetic drama. The principle of improvisation recognises that new circumstances give rise to the re-formulation of established formulae and concepts. Two Australian poets are cited in order to illustrate the re-interpretation of Habakkuk in the light of environmental crisis.