Abstract
The following article is a part of a larger piece of research on the independent Churches in South Africa which was an analysis of the therapeutic role of these Churches in the Soviet region.
The research outlines the principal types of therapeutic practice undertaken in these Churches and goes on to a detailed analysis of the relationship which is established between the « prophets » and the invalids who consult them. The article puts particular emphasis on the element of power which exists in the relationship which is established between the religious prophet and the sick person he is treating ; the reason why the prophet achieves more influence over the patient than the doctor lies in the fact that the prophet appears to be able to explain the illness and give it meaning.
In conclusion, the article attempts to analyse the reasons why this type of church continues to exist ; part of the answer seems to lie in the fact that their structures are flexible enough to allow them to respond to the needs produced by rapid urban development.