The Bethany Hughes series recently was very interesting on the subject of women in the early years of both Christianity and Islam, where it seemed they were allowed to play a greater part than in later years. However, I'm not sure it really requires a historical precedent; women couldn't be queens in their own right (mostly) until recently, or go to university or indeed vote. I guess all belief systems (not just religious ones) go through evolutions - the Founding Fathers of the US believed passionately in democracy and equality. Er, for white men. And preferably not Catholics. Etc. Etc.
People objected when the Mass was held in the local language, not Latin, as well - or when people could read the Bible for the first time instead of have it interpreted for them by their priests.
One of my favourite quotes is from The West Wing (of course):
ABBEY [The First Lady]: It was a perfectly lovely homily on Ephesians 5:21. "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her."
BARTLET [The President]: Yeah. She's skipping over the part that says, "Wives, be subject to your husbands as to the Lord, for a husband is the head of a wife as Christ is the head of the church."
ABBEY: I do skip over that part.
BARTLET: Why?
ABBEY: Because it's stupid!