Research work examining the socio-cultural importance of Christianity's emergence in the shaping of City of London's topography. Dominance of a particular religious sect or denomination is shown on the timeline at the bottom. On the left, the importance of religion and its 'virtual' prospect of the eternal afterlife, was reflected in the abundance of churches in the late 17th century, which represented Christianity at its zenith. The adoption of Calvinism, (and with it Calvin's concept of 'double predestination') during the protestant reformation saw a the birth of capitalist sensibilities, in turn promoting the emphasis of trade in the city. A privileging of material wealth ensued, and the number of churches soon depleted dramatically to make way for new economic buildings (such as the Royal Exchange and Bank of England, both of which were built over Christopher Wren churches). The right hand side of the page examines the present number of churches in the City of London, their diminishing congregations and revenues, as well as the City's future plans to reduce their numbers further still.