Michael Riddell (23 March 1953 – 26 March 2022) was a New Zealand Christian minister and writer.

Early life

Riddell was born in Porirua East (now Cannons Creek), New Zealand, and began schooling at Porirua East Primary School. He was the youngest of a family of four, with two sisters and a brother. His family moved to

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

, where he continued schooling at Northcote Primary School, while living near the Styx River. Secondary schooling took place at

Christchurch Boys' High School , motto_translation = I Seek Higher Things , type = State school, Day and Boarding school , gender = Boys , song = The School We Magnify , colours = Blue and Black , established = , address = 71 Straven R ...

, complete with Army Cadets and regular rugby. In the sixth form, he switched from sciences to arts. He flew to Australia, hitchhiking up the east coast from Adelaide to Cairns, and spending some time living in a hippie commune in the rainforest north of Cairns. A return to New Zealand saw him hold down a succession of jobs long enough to earn a fare to the United Kingdom. He hitchhiked around Europe and Northern Africa. He returned to London, where he met

Rosemary ''Salvia rosmarinus'' (), commonly known as rosemary, is a shrub with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native plant, native to the Mediterranean Region, Mediterranean region. Until 2017, it was kn ...

, a New Zealander who became his lifetime partner, and travelled back to New Zealand via Asia. Riddell was accepted for the New Zealand Baptist Theological College in Auckland, so the family moved there in 1979. During the time at College, Riddell was involved in protest against the

1981 South Africa rugby union tour of New Zealand Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offens ...

. The family moved to Switzerland in 1982, where Riddell pursued postgraduate studies in

Theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

at an international seminary near Zurich, graduating summa cum laude at the end of 1984.

Religious career

Riddell returned to New Zealand, and was ordained and appointed minister of Ponsonby Baptist Church, a small congregation in the central city. Here he was to remain for some nine years. He held a variety of jobs concurrent with that of minister, as a journalist for ''New Outlook'', a current affairs journal, and later as a part-time lecturer at Baptist College. His first book, ''Godzone: A Guide to the Travels of the Soul'', was published in 1992. While minister of Ponsonby Baptist, Riddell was instrumental in establishing the Community of Refuge Trust, a community housing initiative providing accommodation for psychiatric patients and low-income tenants. He was actively involved in local affairs and served for a time on the Ponsonby Community Committee. In 1991, Riddell was involved in a confrontation with Auckland City Council over the proposed sale of Council housing in the Freemans Bay Area. He informed the councillors that they were stripping their city's poor of their dignity and leaving them naked. Riddell resigned from being minister at Ponsonby Baptist in 1993. He became a lecturer in theological education, teaching under the

University of Auckland School of Theology The University of Auckland Faculty of Arts is a public university that offers courses in the arts located on Symonds Street, in Auckland. The faculty is seen as being the best of its kind in New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) ...

bachelor's degree.

Writing career

In 1997, Flamingo published his first novel, ''The Insatiable Moon''. Riddell moved to Dunedin, where he become a Catholic layman, and wrote full-time. He produced another ten books, the play ''Jerusalem, Jerusalem'', and a screenplay of ''The Insatiable Moon'', a feature film released in New Zealand in October 2010. In 2003 he completed his PhD through the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...

, on

James K. Baxter James Keir Baxter (29 June 1926 – 22 October 1972) was a New Zealand poet and playwright. He was also known as an activist for the preservation of Māori culture. He is one of New Zealand's most well-known and controversial literary figures. H ...

's contribution to New Zealand spirituality.

Publications

Fiction

* ''The Insatiable Moon'' (1997) * ''Deep Stuff'' (1999) * ''Masks & Shadows'' (2000)

Non-fiction

* ''Godzone: A Guide to the Travels of the Soul'' (1992) * ''Alt.Spirit@Metro.M3: Alternative Spirituality for the Third Millennium'' (1997) * ''God's Home Page - A Journey Through the Bible for Postmodern Pilgrims'' (1998) * ''Threshold of the Future - Reforming the Church in the Post-Christian West'' (1998) * ''Sacred Journey - Spiritual Wisdom for Times of Transition'' (2000) * ''The Prodigal Project'' with Mark Pierson and Cathy Kirkpatrick, SPCK (2000)

References

External links

Official site

www.whitcoulls.co.nz
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Riddell, Mike 1953 births 2022 deaths New Zealand writers University of Otago alumni Emerging church movement People from Porirua New Zealand crime fiction writers People educated at Christchurch Boys' High School New Zealand Baptist ministers