(I apologize if this has been discussed before; I could not find a previous discussion on a quick search.)
At the park this afternoon, I saw a bench with the following plaque:
To Our Mother, Mary Dessau, who taught us hope, faith and charity, but most of all love.
Clearly, this was a reference to 1 Cor 13:13. Which made me think about 1 Corinthians chapter 13. Perhaps this is naive of me, but it seems quite out of keeping with Paul's overall character. His theology is, although not quite rigorously logical, rather brainy and dry. The modern, buddy Jesus version of Evangelical Christianity would probably be quite foreign to Paul. And yet, 1 Cor 13 is an ode to agape which, at some points, is actually quite beautiful.
While agape is a common word in Paul's doxologies, exhortations and benedictions, the preeminence of agape is not a central theme in his theology, with the exception of 1 Cor 13. The closest theological statements seem to be Rom 13:10 and Gal 5:14; in both cases, however, the context has to do with the superiority of agape over the Law, rather then the a claimed centrality of agape to Christian theology.
So what gives? Is 1 Cor 13 authentically Pauline? Is it considered to be a hymn or other writing that Paul appropriated? Does it have some coherence to Pauline theology that I am missing?
(P.S. I am writing from the perspective of a historical-critical view of the Bible. I understand that for some people, the answer will be that Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit, or by the teachings of Jesus. I respect that viewpoint, but for me personally, that is not a satisfactory answer.)