During Medieval times, little progress in physics was made in Europe. During this period, the church played a dominant role in what was considered a valuable explanation for any phenomena. However, this stunted most progress in the study of physics in Europe, and previously found explanations were the only ideas endorsed by the church. A privileged group of philosophers, headed by Thomas Aquinas, declared Aristotle the greatest thinker of all time, and the Catholic church adopted his explanations for all physical phenomena - except where it directly contradicted the church's views.
