Independent Catholics are not formally connected to the pope in Rome. They practice apostolic succession, seven sacraments, and devotion to the saints. But without a pope, they can change quickly and experiment freely, with some affirming communion for the divorced, women's ordination, clerical marriage, and same-sex marriage. From their early modern origins in the Netherlands to their contemporary proliferation in the United States, these "other Catholics" represent an unusually liberal, mobile, and creative version of America's largest religion.

In The Other Catholics, Julie Byrne shares the remarkable history and current activity of independent Catholics, who number at least two hundred communities and a million members across the United States. She focuses in particular on the Church of Antioch, one of the first Catholic groups to ordain women in modern times. Through archival documents and interviews, Byrne tells the story of the unforgettable leaders and surprising influence of these understudied churches, which, when included in Catholic history, change the narrative arc and total shape of modern Catholicism. As Pope Francis fights to soften Roman doctrines with a pastoral touch and his fellow Roman bishops push back with equal passion, independent Catholics continue to leap ahead of Roman reform, keeping key Catholic traditions but adding a progressive difference.

"[A] probing study.... Byrne's enlightening research and analysis will undoubtedly raise awareness of these little-known Catholic denominations." - Publishers Weekly

"[A] landmark new book." - America Magazine

"Byrne's book is an excellent study of churches on the fringe that incubate new ideas and shed new light on mainstream religion. Through her storytelling, Byrne documents the multiple claims to be Catholic and recognizes that in the very writing of her book she, too, is producing Catholicism." - Times Higher Education

"Byrne's fresh approach opens a window through which to explore the meaning and making of Catholicism. Any reader interested in the American faith landscape will be captivated." - Washington Review of Books

"Drawing on deep research in archives as well as surveys, interviews, and ten years of field research and participant observations, the book is as important for the self-reflexive methods it reveals as for the remarkable story it tells." - The Christian Century

"Path-breaking study" - Catholic Library World

"[Julie Byrne] brings an astonishing narrative drive to a wide range of little-known historical and contemporary ethnographic material. There's nothing like a good story." - Equal Writes

"The Other Catholics is a heartfelt, readable, welcome addition to the history of religions." - Reading Religion

"The book makes intriguing reading, and Byrne skillfully combines a quite colloquial style with impeccable scholarship. For the specialist, the book is indispensable, but it could be appreciated by a more general readership,too." - Nova Religio

"[A] sympathetic and robust presentation." - National Catholic Reporter

"An engaging, highly readable, and comprehensive study of the evolution of independent Catholic communities, and of the challenges and opportunities they have encountered in their efforts to reimagine Catholicism and build alternative models of church." - The Journal of Religion

"A remarkable book, written with extraordinary clarity and eloquence and which exhibits a heartfelt sympathy with the individuals who populate it. It is both a wonderful introduction to the phenomenon of ‘independent’ Catholicism and an intriguing analysis of how one particular church of this kind has operated." - Reviews in Religion & Theology

"Byrne's field-shaping work will be an indispensable touchstone for future scholarship." - Journal of Religious History

"A very interesting and timely book." - Church History

"This carefully researched anthropological and ethnographic history will appeal to a wide readership, including anyone generally interested in religion, particularly Catholics, religious historians, and scholars in religious studies, and anyone interested in the dynamics of group struggle, the power plays in which “Big bodies block or expel” while the “other” shelters, shapes, and showcases the blocked and expelled." - Journal of American Culture