Dearest Chevyontheriver and whosoever else --
As a starting point in the historical development of Calvinism vs Arminianism, I would turn the clock back a thousand years from that controversy to the controversy between Pelagius and Augustine, for their controversy involves some similar ideas as Calvinism vs Arminianism.
Pelagius was a monk who was overboard on WORKS for salvation; Augustine was one of the Top Dogs in the ancient church and usually his ideas won the day, but not in this matter. Augustine had the theory of "Double Predestination" - that God decided from eternity past those who would be saved and those who would be damned, with no consideration whatsoever for a person's actions or beliefs. Pelagius' views were condemned, but Augustine's theories didn't 'WIN' either, and the church adopted what is sometimes called a "semi-Pelagian" view of salvation, though that term can be misleading.
This is all 4th-5th century stuff. As the Reformation began in early 1500's -- it centered around Luther in Germany -- but there were other "Reformers" who jumped on the bandwagon at the same time. Zwingli and John Calvin were operating in parts of Switzerland -- they differed on things, Zwingli was militant, I think he died on a battlefield, sword in hand.
Calvin in a way revised the issue of Augustine's Double Predestination; and heavily emphasized God's Sovereignty.
A contemporary of Calvin's who greatly outlived him was Beza. Jacob Arminius was a Calvinist in Holland, professor at University of Leyden, at one time he was tasked by Beza's bunch to refute some writings of a guy named Koornherdt who advocated free will. In studying/preparing to dispute these ideas, Arminius found himself agreeing with them.
Arminius said that rather than this Double Predestination with no regard for what a person thought; that Predestination was by God's foreknowledge of which people would believe and persist in believing.
The Beza bunch was none too happy that Arminius 'switched sides' and was proclaiming Free Will. But Arminius passed away before a Synod could be held about the matter. That Synod was called the Synod of Dort -- Arminius' followers were known as Remonstrants and led by one Episcopius. They lost, and were driven out of Holland.
England's situation, of course, was rather unique -- instead of a 'Reformer' leading them on theological grounds -- we have King Henry the Eighth upset cuz Pope wouldn't give him another annullment, so Henry declared his own church, Church of England, Anglican - from which our Episcopalians come from.
Eventually, century or so after Arminius, John Wesley started Methodism as a movement within the Anglican Church - Wesley revived the ideas of Arminius - at one time Wesley had a publication called The Arminian Magazine.
This is all quick and dirty - I couldn't sleep - it seemed someone was prowling around outside my window, I went out there but just a neighbor walking back and forth talking on his cellphone, but I gave up on laying back down and typed this out.
