Picturing Christianity through Handel’s “Messiah”

“Handel’s “Messiah” is indisputably a sacred composition in every way!” Some scholars and students alike may exclaim. After all, the entire libretto is taken from the King James Bible. Phrases heard frequently in church services such as ‘Hallelujah’, ‘Praise the Lord’, and ‘Amen’, also appear frequently in the “Messiah”. For these reasons, I previously considered the “Messiah” a sacred work. Despite all of that, in a recent poll surveying University of Arizona students who had just studied Handel’s “Messiah”, the choice describing it as a secular composition received 51% of the vote. While hardly unanimous, this sentiment is still surprising considering the obvious sacred connotations of this famous oratorio.

Even now, I have no doubt that Handel would have considered God an audience for his work, and attempted to honor him genuinely with the music he created. However, I recently discovered an 1845 publication in The Musical Times from which I was able to deduce a completely new, and arguably much better, definition of ‘secular’, which may have completely changed my mind. Read this excerpt from the beginning of the publication:

“Convolution” refers to something that is very complicated and difficult to follow, and yet Handel was able to depict it truthfully through an artful and fragmented structure, the author asserts. But who is he depicting it for?

This is where the new definition of ‘secular’ comes in: A religious work of art, music, or literature will be considered secular in function if it serves to depict religion to a potentially non-religious audience. This definition clearly excludes obvious sacred works, such as hymns, masses, and the Bible itself, which are intended to be sung or read during a church service with the explicit intent of fulfilling a religious doctrine. However, if the purpose of Handel’s “Messiah” can be received by all audiences, religious or non-religious, rather than simply executing and participating in the Christian faith, it should be considered secular.

Now, all we have to do is prove that the “Messiah” fits this definition of ‘secular’. Returning to The Musical Times publication, we can see the author identify four sections of the “Messiah” that describe different elements of Christianity:

Together, these four sections provide an understanding into the core doctrine and the basic beliefs that makes up Christianity. The logical structure and progression of the four sections also diminishes any doubt that Charles Jennens, Handel’s librettist, crafted the structure purposefully.

With this in mind, it becomes clear that Handel’s “Messiah” can describe to a listener of any religion or lack thereof the true nature of Christianity. An audience member is not expected to feel a connection to God or a spiritual uplift while listening, and instead can simply learn about how Christianity works and how meaningful it can be for its adherents. This is why the “Messiah” transcends its religious connotations to function as a truly secular work.

“Handel’s Messiah.” The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular, vol. 1, no. 9, 1845, pp. 65–71. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3370446. Accessed 8 Mar. 2021.