Final answer:
In missionary work, 'faith-life' refers to the lived religious experience, often involving reliance on faith for guidance and resources. Missionaries historically have spread Christianity and related cultural advancements, but sometimes with adverse impacts on local populations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term faith-life when used in the context of missionary work describes the lived experience of religious faith, particularly for those who undertake missionary endeavors. These individuals rely on their faith, trusting that their spiritual convictions will guide and sustain them through challenges, including possibly the provision of resources or overcoming language barriers in foreign lands. Missionaries like Augustine of Canterbury, who was sent by Pope Gregory to convert the Anglo-Saxons, as well as Christian rulers and laity, played significant roles in the historical spread of Christianity. Similarly, missionaries beyond Europe, such as those in Hawaii and China, continued this tradition by bringing not only their faith but also education and modernization to the peoples they encountered.
It is important to note that missionaries often operated within the political and cultural frameworks of their times, sometimes aligning with imperialistic agendas and causing adverse effects on the local populations—such as undermining native practices and beliefs. Yet, the core of missionary life has been to live out one's faith and to share it with others, often entering into such work with the belief that the guidance and provision for their efforts, be it in resources or understanding, would be met by divine means.