Final answer:
The reaction of religious communities to societal challenges during the fourteenth century, including the bubonic plague, prompted shifts in authority and faith as scientific explanations for natural phenomena emerged, leading to the questioning of traditional dogmas.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question "Which of the following individuals argued in favor of the theory of spontaneous generation?" pertains to a significant debate in the history of science, particularly in the context of the emergence and expansion of scientific knowledge during times when society faced challenges such as epidemics or heresies. While not directly related to the reaction of the Church to heresy, the parallel inquiry into the natural world and the critique of established dogma during times of societal upheaval, like that caused by the bubonic plague from 1347 to 1522, reflects a broader spectrum of intellectual challenges that faced religious authority. During this period, the Church's credibility was strained as more events previously ascribed to divine intervention were increasingly explained by scientific inquiry, leading to a shift in societal structures and thought.