[5] He is the author of more than ninety books and one thousand one hundred articles and his work has been translated into English, French, Russian, Spanish, German, Chinese, Basque, Catalan, Polish, Turkish and Portuguese.

In 2006 he was Chancellor Dunning Trust Lecturer at Queen's University, Kingston, Canada, on Human Values - Religious and Secular.

He has written and/or directed some research movies on popular feasts, namely on Holy Week in Cerignola (Italy) ("Rossocontinuo with English comment", directed by Toni Occhiello) and in Spain ("Semana Santa en Sevilla"), on patron saint feast in a Mexican pueblo ("Las fiestas de san Luís Rey", co-directed with Toni Occhiello) and, with Emanuela del Re, on festival of festivals in Haifa ("Haifa's answer").

He has conducted comparative empirical research in Italy in Orune (Sardinia), in Greece in Episkepsi (Corfu), in Piekary Śląskie and in Mexico in Nahuatzen (Michoacán), on the relationship between solidarity and community.

He is on the editorial board of the journals Current Sociology, Religions, Sociedad y Religión, Sociétés, La Critica Sociologica, Religioni e Società.