He is the author of many articles and research papers on religion, politics, and identity, published in such peer-reviewed journals as the Journal of Ritual Studies, the Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Europe, Anthropology in Action, and the Anthropological Journal of European Cultures. He is also co-author (with Paul A. Erickson) of A History of Anthropological Theory (UTP Higher Education, 1998; 2003; 2008) and co-editor (with Paul A. Erickson) of Readings for a History of Anthropological Theory (UTP Higher Education, 2001; 2006; 2010). A specialist on religion in Northern Ireland, Murphy is also the author of Believing in Belfast: Charismatic Christianity After the Troubles (Carolina Academic Press, 2010).