ABSTRACT
At the time Thomas Aquinas was born interesting things were happening in England, France, Italy, and Spain. New religious orders were being formed. Notre Dame Cathedral in France was being built and Salisbury Cathedral in England was started in 1220. On the political scene, the semi-Christian, semi-Muslim Frederick II, the grandson of Frederick I, was the Holy Roman Emperor. In 1224 Frederick II established a school in Naples, which taught Aristotle's works, including the books on nature. In Europe, freed of Islamic religious control and enjoying the reconciliation of science and religion, science and mathematics flourished. During the thirteenth century in Europe, feudalism was rapidly decreasing, even while technology was rapidly increasing. All science, philosophy, and religion depend on the same ultimate source. As a general rule, the state always wants to gain control over everything within its territory, including religion.
