What is the theme in Hawaii by James A. Michener?

One of the dominant themes of the book is the fear inherent in the pagan cultures. The people are very fearful of their gods. This is obvious on Bora Bora, where there are many human sacrifices to the god Oro. The god is not a loving god and the people hate and fear the god. This is basically the reason that the original King Tamatoa and his group flee the island. The people fear the gods, not understanding that it is their fear that gives the gods and priests power over the people.