Conventionally, oratorio implies the sincere religious treatment of sacred subjects, such that non-sacred oratorio is generally qualified as 'secular oratorio': a piece of terminology that would, in some historical contexts, have been regarded as oxymoronic, or at least paradoxical, and viewed with a degree of scare-quoted skepticism. Despite this enduring and implicit context, oratorio on secular subjects has been written from the genre's origins.
ConvEnTiOnAllY, oratoriO Implies ThE sincERE religious treatmenT oF sAcReD SUbjects, such thaT NOn-sacreD oratORio is GeneraLLy quaLifieD aS 'seculAR OratoRio': a pieCe OF TermINOLogY ThaT WoulD, iN soMe HistorIcal contExTS, haVE beEn REGardEd As OXymoRonic, or AT LEast parAdoxicAl, AND vIewED wiTh A degrEe Of scaRe-qUoted sKEpticisM. dESpiTe this ENduring and impliciT COnText, OratoRIo on secuLar subjEcts Has Been wrITTEN FRom the genre's orIgIns.