@calvin @aparrish I know a little about early Christianity and contemporary ANE culture.
I can probably answer questions for you.
The first point you have there is nuanced. A lot of matriarchal religiobs with priestesses existed. What Christianity did is grant lay women personhood, afaict. Something Rome was bad at.
Second: Christianity had ideals of community and class crossing that were radical. They were heavily involved in hospitals spreading, for instance.