Nature god banking silver for heathen (5)
I believe the answer is:
pagan
<span class="explanation-format__ClueExplanation">'<span class="explanation-format__original">heathen</span>' is the definition.<br/ ><span class="explanation-format__explanation">(both can mean an irreligious person)</span><br/ ><br/ >'<span class="explanation-format__original">nature god banking silver</span>' is the wordplay.<br/ >'<span class="explanation-format__original">nature god</span>' becomes '<span class="explanation-format__intermediate">Pan</span>' <span class="explanation-format__explanation">(Pan is a god in Greek mythology)</span>.<br/ >'<span class="explanation-format__original">banking</span>' indicates putting letters inside.<br/ >'<span class="explanation-format__original">silver</span>' becomes '<span class="explanation-format__intermediate">Ag</span>' <span class="explanation-format__explanation">(Ag is the chemical symbol for silver)</span>.<br/ >'<span class="explanation-format__intermediate">pan</span>' going around '<span class="explanation-format__intermediate">ag</span>' is '<span class="explanation-format__answer">PAGAN</span>'.<br/ ><br/ >'<span class="explanation-format__original">for</span>' is the link.<br/ ></span>
(Other definitions for pagan that I've seen before include "advocate of pleasures" , "Unchristian" , "Unbeliever" , "Non-mainstream religious believer" , "One who does not acknowledge a god" .)