The relationship between reason and text in religious knowledge is a central issue within the Imami (Shi‘i) theoretical tradition and has long underpinned the emergence of two major approaches: rationalism and textualism. This article adopts a novel, spectrum-based approach to analyze these two trends, aiming to reinterpret them not as isolated or opposing camps, but as points along a continuous epistemological spectrum. By classifying the conceptual and epistemological features of rationalism and textualism and examining their historical development, this study demonstrates that Imami thought has consistently moved between the preservation of scriptural texts and the active use of reason in interpreting and validating religious doctrines. Moreover, the contributions of key figures within each orientation are examined and presented through comparative tables. The proposed spectrum model provides an analytical framework for better understanding the interaction between reason and text within the Imami tradition. The article’s main contribution lies in offering a historically grounded, criterion-based, and spectrum-oriented analysis, which can aid in the critical re-evaluation of Shi‘i epistemological heritage in the face of contemporary challenges