The Mendelssohn family, originally of Jewish heritage, converted to Christianity in the early 19th century largely due to social and political pressures in Germany. At the time, Jews faced significant discrimination and limited civil rights, which hindered opportunities in education, careers, and public life. Abraham Mendelssohn, the father of composer Felix Mendelssohn, believed that converting to Christianity would offer his children better prospects in a predominantly Christian society and added the name "Bartholdy" as their last name. It was intended to help distinguish the Christian branch of the family from their Jewish heritage and came from a family property owned by his wife’s relatives. Felix himself was not especially fond of the "Bartholdy" name and sometimes resisted using it, but he accepted it in official contexts.The family's conversion was thus a strategic decision aimed at social integration rather than a purely religious transformation. At the the time Felix was just 7 years old, and so embraced the Lutheran faith from childhood. 

His personal beliefs and music were deeply influenced by this family decision. Though he remained aware of his Jewish heritage and even worked to reconcile the two religions, Mendelssohn found spiritual and artistic inspiration in Christianity. Privately, Mendelssohn seemed to value his family's Jewish background as part of his identity, especially through the legacy of his grandfather, Moses Mendelssohn, a prominent Jewish Enlightenment philosopher. However, he viewed religion more through a moral and artistic lens than strict theological boundaries. His letters and writings suggest a belief in ethical living and spiritual expression over religious ideology, and his music reflects a synthesis of these influences rather than a direct allegiance to either faith tradition. But at least publicly, he was especially influenced by the works of Martin Luther philosophically and in his religious compositions by J.S. Bach. His music often reflect this blend of religious conviction and musical tradition, most notably in his oratorios St. Paul and Elijah, which draw heavily on Biblical texts and Protestant themes. 

Felix Mendelssohn was introduced to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach at a young age, likely in the 1810s, through his musical education and the influence of his family—especially his grandmother Bella Salomon, who was herself a student of one of J.S. Bach's sons. She was the one who gave him a copy of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. However, the most significant moment came in 1829, when at just 20 years old, Mendelssohn organized and conducted a landmark performance of the St. Matthew Passion in Berlin. This was the first time the work had been performed since Bach's death in 1750 and marked a major revival of interest in Bach's music. That performance not only brought Bach back into the public eye but also solidified Mendelssohn’s reputation as a serious and influential composer. Mendelssohn’s revival of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion also highlights his reverence for Lutheran sacred music, helping to reintroduce the music of Bach to a wider 19th-century audience and cementing his role as a bridge between past and present. 

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