This critical investigation places Paul's contribution to this conceptual dialectic within the cultural and political debate of the ancient world. Employing a variety of exegetical lenses, including rhetorical analysis, Dewey explores the historical as well as conceptual drama of St Paul, beginning with Galatians 3. After a detailed exploration which presents the interpretive options for spirit and letter in the ancient world, Dewey moves on to II Corinthians 3 as he reveals Paul's radical political speech. Finally, in an analysis of Romans 2-3, 7-8, Dewey discloses the communal and cosmic dimensions of Paul's developing thought. The entire investigation is itself a hermeneutical experience, demonstrating that theology is more than a static reproduction, and inviting the reader to discover what has been long silenced in the Pauline texts.