And opera was no longer about teaching religion as it was about satire and about expressing the ideas of society your government without committing yourself to writing and risking imprisonment or persecution, or what have you.
as 在这里的意思是“像…一样”
opera was not about A as it was about B and C...
as很多义。
adv.1(同...)一样...;同样
conj.1因为;既然 2如同;像;按照 3虽然,尽管 4以致,以便 5同...(一样...)
prep.1作为;以...身分 2当作 3例如
这里我觉得是连词,表因为。
as 做连词→表因为