Final answer:
Missionaries from various Christian denominations established their unmistakable identity by building churches and schools, assimilating indigenous populations to colonial cultures, and ingraining themselves in the fabric of missionary architecture. They documented indigenous cultures but also caused controversies by disrupting cultural practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
Missionaries established a clear identity through various means, including their religious practices, architectural contributions, and cultural exchanges. Roman Catholic and Protestant missionaries set up churches and schools to convert peoples of Africa, Asia, and the Pacific to Christianity.
They were instrumental in teaching the language of the conquering nation and in many cases attempting to assimilate orphaned or abandoned children to the culture of the home country.
Missionaries actively engaged in documenting information about Indigenous cultures and converting them to Christianity, with some missionaries harboring sympathetic views towards the Indigenous while others were hostile.
The missionary architecture, which stood out for its significance in places like San Gabriel, CA, served not just as places of worship but also as tools of attraction and conversion for local populations.
The work of missionaries was not without controversy; while they provided education and sometimes healthcare, their actions also had harmful effects on Indigenous societies, such as disrupting family structures and cultural practices.
Despite these complexities, missionaries like Dominican friar Bartolome de las Casas worked to understand and bridge the gap between native populations and colonial societies.
Venerated ancestors were an aspect of cultural practice that some orders, such as the Jesuits, initially supported, gaining converts through respect and accommodation of Chinese traditions.
However, conflicts within the church and the imposition of uniform practices by the Vatican eventually led to a decree from Emperor Kangxi that resulted in the expulsion of non-compliant missionaries from China.