| Abstract
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YHWH, the primary deity of the Hebrew Bible, is the basis of the concept of god in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This structured personality assessment study measured the level of health and pathology attributed to YHWH in two selections of the Hebrew Bible, the J and the P texts. These texts were selected for their unique depiction of the figure YHWH and for their distinct historical and thematic emphasis. The 46 participants in this study, all with graduate degrees in psychology, were asked to assess the profile of YHWH using the Shedler and Westen Assessment Procedure (SWAP-200), a personality assessment instrument designed for clinicians to describe in detail the personalities of their patients. They were also given a post study questionnaire identifying their own religious beliefs and affiliation. The consistency with which they described the depiction of YHWH across both texts established a profile detailing the level of health and pathology of that figure. The profile that emerged from this study described YHWH as possessing a personality with both Narcissistic and Antisocial Personality traits. The traits exhibited were slightly below the threshold required for a Narcissistic Personality Disorder diagnosis. The results describe a figure that is predominantly attention seeking, controlling, unforgiving, critical, angry, hostile, and power seeking. The Antisocial Personality traits revealed a figure that doesn't exhibit remorse for the harm or injury he caused to others, nor concern with the consequences of his actions. Although the participants were very consistent in their portrayal of YHWH, a deviation was found in those who showed an affinity for YHWH, and these participants' assessments significantly correlated with a more favorable description of the figure. The success of the study, as well as the homogeneous results, suggest that the SWAP-200 is an effective instrument for the assessment of figures described in a text. This study was the first of its kind to successfully quantify an assessment of a religious deity, and as such, opens a wide range of possible follow-up studies, including looking at the implications of such a profile on individual and cultural moral, values, and actions.
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