A fastening device for clamping and fastening tissue together with fasteners formed from an adhesive is disclosed. An embodiment of the adhesive fastening device can clamp a first and a second portion of tissue together between a first and a second jaw, and can place a fluid polymer adhesive into tissue and form it into a polymerized surgical fastener within the tissue. The adhesive fastener can be formed as a polymerized shank or shaft extending through the tissue, and can have one or more heads formed on the shank. The shank can be formed solely from the polymerizable adhesive, or can be formed from another material such as nitinol, titanium, stainless steel, suture, or a plastic. Shanks of other material can be combined with the adhesive. Alternately, an adhesive fastener can be formed extending distally from a distal end of the surgical device. And, an adhesive fastener can be formed around a luminal tissue or within luminal tissue.