For tradition, as a solid starting point, I would suggest either the Celestial Chorus or The Sons of Ether.

I think the Chorus is the obvious choice here if you are going for a holy warrior.

I honestly think Sons of Ether is a better fit. The Sons have a couple catagories of mages, there are the mad scientists making up the bulk of it, and then there are the pulp adventurers. He could identify with some Mythic figures, Like the Knights of the Round Table, or be a Paladin in the Tradition of Solomon Kane, a holy warrior who follows a religion in name, more interested in the smiting of evils.


I realize now that by paradigm you mean a method to casting. Prayers can take many forms, and perhaps he could change the type of prayer based on the magics being worked, from Gregorian chants to psalms to Hymns to whatever other kind of prayer you can find. If you go full blown Pulp adventure, Then a relic or two would make a good focus. Perhaps that you learned forces from a shaman and use a primal dance to control the forces? Remember, in mage your character does not have to be tied to a single tradition, you can mix and match based on your character's background.