South Africa is generally seen as a country in which religious values playa significant role, panicularly Christian values. Such statements are, however, extremely difficult to qualify adequately. In this anicle the results from a national survey among elites conducted in both 1994 and 1995 are employed to gain some insight into the role the Christian faith plays with regard to ethical issues in the process of policy-making in South Africa. The anicle is a presentation of data which may contribute to a better understanding of the influence of Christian norms and beliefs in the area of personal ethics, whereas civil and social issues are dealt with in a following anicle.