Activists on left, right share faith but little else

But beyond that, the two poles differ dramatically on political priorities and biblical interpretation.

If you're a conservative religious activist, you're likely a male evangelical who reads the Bible literally and views fighting abortion and same-sex marriage as the top political priorities.

On the other hand, if you're a woman who attends a mainline Protestant church, hold an expansive view of Scripture and think health care and poverty are top priorities, you're more likely to be labeled a progressive religious activist.

John C. Green, one of the co-authors of "Faithful, Engaged and Divergent," said the surveys depict two groups that aren't just "at loggerheads" with each other, but rather take wildly different views of hot-button political issues.

''What this suggests is that these groups are talking past each other," said Green, director of the Bliss Institute for Applied Politics in Akron, Ohio. "They have, really, very different priorities. ... A lot of what's going on is an argument about what the political agenda ought to be."

Robert P. Jones, another co-author of the report, said the surveys also indicate differences in the ways the two groups mobilize their activism.

For example, progressive religious activists are more wired, engaging in online activism, while conservative religious activists are more involved in state campaigns and ballot initiatives. But no matter what their rate of activity, religious activists on both ends of the ideological spectrum said their faith was an important driver of their work.