God of the Gaps

Early humans had no explanation for natural phenomenon like flood, drought, lightning, and volcanic eruptions. All these phenomenon created terror, and led them to seek explanation in super natural causes. Early cultures assigned human attributes to these natural  phenomenon. Thor was the Norse god of thunder, who created lightning with his hammer. Indra was the Vedic god of lightning, thunder and rain. The Earth was often seen as a fertility godess or "Mother Goddess" essential for survival and continuity of life. 

By treating these phenomenon as conscious beings (God or Devil), people beleived they could be appeased through rituals, prayers or offerings. When the result of these coincided with favourable outcomes, say rain after drought, the religious practices reinforced and became a tradition. 

Animism is the belief that natural objects, phenomena, and even inanimate objects possess a spiritual essence or soul. Anthropologist, Edward Brunette Taylor [1] used the term Animism to name this early religious sentiments. 

"God of Gaps"  is a modern term that describes the general process of using divine explanation to fill gaps in current scientific knowledge.  As science provides natural explanations for phenomena ( eg. Water cycle explains rain), the need to attribute them to a specific deity diminishes.  The primary drive of early religion was the human need to comprehend the world and impose order on an otherwise inscrutable environment.

Notes:-

1. An English anthropologist (1832 to 1917). In his Primitive Culture and Anthropology he states that there is a functional basis for the development of society and religion which is universal.  According to him all societies passed through three basic stages of development from savagery through barbarism to civilization.

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