The purpose of the paper is manifold. The first aim is to create a framework for analysis or to map the landscape of the Romanian church-related higher education institutions. The second is to answer the question that the existing educational policies, societal and cultural trends how will determine the identity, mission and functioning of these institutions. In the first part of the paper we will review the history and traditionally existing models of the church-related higher learning institutions what create an understanding for the nowadays challenges faced by them. Once we fullfil this objective, we will continue with the presentation of the educational movements after the collapse of communism, the expansion and dimension of religious education which provide basis to the classification of these institutions. Finally, we will review the legal status, the governance and financing, the training structure of the church-related higher education followed by a short account of the europanization and internationalization of the sector. (Contains 5 tables and 4 footnotes.)