A study of religious history is imperative regardless of the subjective beliefs of the historian as it aids in understanding the lenses through which people viewed their communities and lives. The most surprising thing about Protestant reformation, that started as a doctrinal dispute turned into a reformation and eventually, a revolt, was that it spread beyond the confines of Wittenberg. The issue of the Reformation lies in its supply sided nature as the potential reformers were at that time crushed by the Church which declared their claims as heresies before they even spread. The earliest of such attempts date back to the 12th century during the Waldensian movement in which there was a rejection of the wealthy Church authorities by the general public. The Waldensian movement gained momentum in Italy, Spain, and France during the 12th as well as the 13th century and was suppressed before their influence gained followers. Ultimately a decree was enacted by the Church of burning those who followed the movement in 1197 at the Council of Gerona (Becker). The historic crisis and social upheavals before the Protestant Reformation against the Catholic Church suggest that there was already a lot of pent up anger throughout the Middle Ages until the time of Martin Luther (Brutus).