Career
He was a Welsh nationalist, and during the Second World War was a conscientious objector, undertaking farming. He was also the Plaid Cymru candidate for Wrexham in the 1950 General Election. He was also a campaigner against the dumping of nuclear waste and was chairman of the campaign group Madryn.
Bowen"s doctoral thesis was a study of Recusant literature in south-east and north-east Wales and he was to write extensively on this subject and other aspects of Welsh religious history during his academic career.