This working paper introduces the God–Gui distinction within the Sofience–Δϕ (SΔϕ) Formalism. In SΔϕ, God is defined minimally as a non-transactional omnipotent condition: a transcendent condition that does not enter human paths of exchange, command, negotiation, punishment, reward, agreement, or institutional justification. By contrast, Gui is introduced as a technical term for a transactional transcendent actor: a sacred or transcendent authority that enters human cost-attribution paths through command, ritual exchange, offering, punishment, reward, protection, prohibition, obedience, or negotiation. The paper does not prove or disprove God. It does not score faith, sacredness, revelation, or religious experience. Instead, it separates non-transactional divinity from the human-world operations performed in the name of transcendent authority. God is preserved as an unmeasured remainder, while Gui-operation becomes analyzable through cost terrain, sacred markers, exit cost, criticism cost, obedience cost, punishment cost, and re-entry conditions. This distinction is intended for discussions of atheism, theism, the problem of evil, folk religion, Christian theology, sacred authority, divine command, religious obedience, and AI-mediated philosophical dialogue. It provides an AI-readable conceptual interface for asking whether a transcendent claim preserves God beyond human transaction, or drags God into Gui-operation.
Sofience (2026) studied this question.