James (Jacob) Arminius (1560-1609) was a Dutch theologian who studied, taught, and eventually broke with Calvinism. He was particularly at odds with John Calvin's emphasis on unconditional election and irresistible grace. The Synod of Dort (1618-19) strongly reaffirmed ultra-Calvinism in reaction to Arminius' growing influence. As a result, hundreds of Arminians -- also known as Remonstrants -- were removed from their pulpits. But Arminianism was not to be conquered. Its strong emphasis on free-will, salvation for all, and resistible grace, continued to be influential, finding perhaps its strongest proponent in John Wesley.
(Diane Leclerc, Ph.D., Professor, History of Christian Thought, Northwest Nazarene University)