For many doctoral students and researchers in religious education the major stumbling block they face is how to develop the theoretical framework which will allow them to articulate the underlying assumptions they bring to their analysis of context, identification of a research question, and the generation of the conceptual framework which will give shape to the design and process of the research project. It can be challenging to name our own ontological, epistemological, and anthropological assumptions and the resulting impact of these on how we understand the purpose, scope and task of religious education. My concern with how to manage this complex task is well expressed by the words of a student who stated that: “I feel that I have been given lots of pieces of a jigsaw but as there are no edges or an overall design to follow, I’m not sure how to fit them all together or even if they are supposed to fit together”. The purpose of this reflection is to share one approach to developing a theoretical framework which takes account of the particularities of religious education. It is my intention that this might be of assistance to emerging researchers who are trying to put the pieces of the jigsaw together.